The vaccination rate has to increase for return of freedom of movement
Venkat Raman
Auckland, October 3, 2021
There is an anxious wait in Auckland as residents wait to hear of the government’s decision tomorrow (Monday), although there is growing apprehension perpetrated by large violations of the current regulations on social gathering and vaccination rates are reaching their target.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced at a media conference this afternoon that following two known community cases in Raglan and Hamilton, the Waikato region will move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59 pm today and her government’s decision to increase checks and stricter enforcement of boundary rules.
“There will be spot checks around Hamilton boundary areas but they will not be as rigorous as they are in Auckland. The Cabinet will review the Alert Level after five days,” she said.
Ms Ardern said that the decision to increase the alert level settings for Hamilton and surrounding areas was in line with that taken earlier for the Upper Hauraki area, giving the officials an opportunity to contact trace and widely test in to assess if the virus has spread widely. The decision was also prompted by the Health Ministry announcement that there were two new community cases in Waikato, of which one person aged in the 40s is a resident of Reglan and the other, in 50s, a resident of Hamilton.
The total number of new cases today is 33, of which 31 are in Auckland.
Vaccination message
All the affected persons have not been vaccinated, which Ms Ardern termed, ‘not a coincidence.’
“Those who have not had a vaccine in New Zealand are currently in the minority. But they are the vast majority of our cases. That is because the vaccine works, but it is also because the virus is literally finding unvaccinated people. Vaccination makes a difference. It keeps people safe. It also gives us choices,” she said.
Ms Ardern said that if the country had a vaccination rate of 90% or more either in Hamilton or Raglan, the government would not have decided to move to Alert Level 3.
“And so this is a message for the rest of New Zealand. We are doing everything that we can to keep cases confined to Auckland and managing them there. The people of Auckland are sacrificing a lot to do that too. But they are doing that, to give everyone else time to be vaccinated,” she said.
Tougher measures warning
Ms Ardern warned that if the virus moves beyond the Auckland boundary, and the places it moves to have low vaccination rates, the government will take tough measures.
“So please, get vaccinated today if you want to avoid Level Three in your community. I know that some people are nervous about the vaccine and wanting to wait a bit longer to see what happens. I understand that. It is natural to have questions. But I can assure you the vaccine is safe and the experience is friendly and supported,” he said.
According to available information, there are about 887,000 eligible New Zealanders who have not been vaccinated. As of yesterday, 79% of the population have had their first dose.
