COVID-19 Update #92 - 23 Kohitātea 2022 Rātapu, 23 Kohitātea 2022COVID-19 Update Pānui no. #92.If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 E ngā puna ora, e ngā whānau, ngā hā kui, ngā hā koroua, tēnā tātou katoa, E whiti tonu ana ngā hīhī o te raumati, ki runga i ā tātou, engari ko te whakaaro nui ki te hunga kua riro ki tua o paerangi ki te huinga o te kahurangi, haere, moe mai. Kāti tātou ngā ringa manaaki, ngā ringa poipoi i wā tātou mokopuna, ngā rangaitra o āpōpō, o te ināmata, koinei te reo whakamiha e rere atu nei ki a koutou katoa. Nāu mai hoki mai ki tō tātou kaupapa. Anei te pānui mate urutā mō tēnei wā. Today, Cabinet announced that all of Aotearoa will shift into the red traffic light setting at 11:59pm tonight, Sunday 23 January 2022, in order to slow down and manage the spread of Omicron in the community. There is no need to panic as Kōhanga Reo and businesses will still be open. Vaccination, testing for infection and best hygiene practices are still our best defense against Covid-19 and its variants. Nine COVID-19 cases reported yesterday in the Nelson/Marlborough region have been confirmed as the Omicron variant, and a further case from the same household was confirmed late yesterday. These cases flew to Auckland on 13 January to attend a wedding and other events. It is estimated that over 100 people attended these events. There still remains uncertainty around how this family is linked to the border, which indicates that Omicron is circulating in Auckland and possibly the Nelson, Marlborough region. While Omicron is significantly more infectious than the Delta variant, it has shown to be less detrimental than previous strands. The Ministry of Health expects to see far more cases than we have in the past two years of the pandemic. A reminder that red setting is not a lockdown - businesses can remain open with the use of vaccine passes, travel is not restricted, and whānau and friends can still visit each other. It does place restrictions on venues, particularly those who do not use vaccine passes, and will make most large gatherings impossible. What does this mean for Kōhanga Reo? Kōhanga Reo remain open under the red traffic light setting. It still remains mandatory for all adults and children above 12 years to be fully vaccinated during operating hours, as well as when there are mokopuna present. Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust takes the wellbeing and safety of our mokopuna, kaimahi and whānau seriously. Lets do the best we can to keep Covid and its variants out of Kōhanga Reo. What can you do now? When you have reached four months since your second dose of the vaccine, you can visit your nearest vaccination centre for your booster. Approximately 56 percent of those eligible for a booster have already received one. If it has been four months since your second jab, visit BookMyVaccine.nz or find your nearest walk-in vaccination clinic. Evidence from overseas reveals that boosters significantly reduce the likelihood of getting sick and needing to go to hospital; it also helps to reduce the transmission of the virus. Current situation Yesterday, there were 43 cases reported in the community and 41 at the border:
There have been 22 confirmed cases of Omicron in total since its arrival in Aotearoa, and all except one are currently in managed isolation. This one case has recovered and has since been released as they are no longer infectious. Ministry of Education Updates: The Ministry of Education had provided a link to a number of Covid-19 related resources and guidelines on their website. If you need further assistance please do not hesitate to contact your local Tari-ā-rohe or ring our free phone 0800 564 2642 during work hours. COVID-19 Protection Framework resources for early learning services – Education in New Zealand Kia whai i te ora, kia piki te ora, kia whaioranga, kia haumaru. Nāku noa, Angus Hartley Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive |