Wellington, August 30, 2021
Key things to note:
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden confirmed has that from 11:59 pm on Tuesday, August 31, 2021, all areas south of Auckland will move to Alert Level 3, for one week.
Cabinet will review the situation on September 6, 2021.
Auckland and Northland will remain at Alert Level 4. Northland will move to Alert Level 3 at 11:59 pm on Thursday, September 2, 2021, presuming that wastewater and contact testing results in the area come back clear.
With the change in alert levels, mandatory record requirements for everyone south of the Auckland border will come into effect from September 8, 2021.
Access to business premises
Business owners and operators will be able to access their premises to prepare for contactless trading and meet public health requirements. Businesses that can meet Alert Level 3 requirements can open from 11:59 pm on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. For more information on these requirements, visit Unite Against COVID-19
For New Zealanders, Alert Level 3 means staying in their bubble, keeping distance and shopping without contact. For more information, please visit Unite Against COVID-19.
Covid-19 in numbers
There are 53 new cases of Covid-19 in the community for a total of 562 cases, of which 5647 are in Auckland and 15 in Wellington. There is one new case and one historical case in managed isolation.
522 cases have been epidemiologically linked to another case or sub-cluster, and a further 42 for which links are yet to be fully established.
Yesterday, 16,370 Covid tests were processed across New Zealand. There are 26 community testing centres available across Auckland. For up-to-date information on all testing locations, please visit Healthpoint.
Negative day 12 test results have now been received for all six people who were in the Crown Plaza lobby at the same time as the earliest identified case.
Yesterday, 47,897 Vaccine doses were administered. Of these, 36,476 were first doses and 11,421 were second doses. More than 3.33 million doses of the Pfizer Vaccine have been administered to date with 2.17 million first doses and 1.16 million second doses.
“Remember, there is no requirement for people to produce a passport to get vaccinated. We want everyone to get vaccinated and there is no requirement to prove citizenship or to show a valid visa,” Ms Ardern said.
One Red flight from Sydney on Sunday, September 5, 2021, has been scheduled to bring back people who qualify for an emergency allocation of an MIQ voucher. People can apply until 5 pm (NZST/3 pm AEST) on Thursday, September 2, 2021.
Alert Level 3 updated guidelines
Schools and learning services are open for children and young people Years 1-10 whose parents or carers need to go to work and there is no one at home to supervise them.
Student bubbles should be no more than 10 tamariki/rangatahi. Teaching staff are in addition to that number.
Staff can set up services to prepare for Alert Level 3. This only applies to parts of the country that are moving to Alert Level 3 and does not apply to Auckland or Northland.
Staff in early learning services and schools are not required to wear face coverings at Alert Level 3. Health officials have advised against the use of face coverings particularly because face coverings that are handled incorrectly or are moved around can present a greater risk than no covering.
Myocarditis case
The Ministry of Health has published a statement regarding the death of a woman in the days following Vaccination with the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine.
The Covid-19 Independent Safety Monitoring Board (CV-ISMB) has considered that the woman’s death was due to myocarditis, which is known to be a rare side-effect of the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine. They considered that the myocarditis was probably due to Vaccination.
The CV-ISMB noted that other medical issues were occurring at the same time which may have influenced the outcome following Vaccination.
The case has been referred to the coroner and the cause of death has not yet been determined. Further details cannot be released while the coroner investigates.
Caution against myocarditis and pericarditis
Healthcare professionals and members of the public are reminded to be vigilant and know the signs of myocarditis and pericarditis.
Symptoms of myocarditis can include new-onset chest pain, shortness of breath and an abnormal heartbeat. Anyone who experiences these symptoms in the first few days after Vaccination must seek medical attention promptly.
There are many possible causes of myocarditis. The most common cause is a viral infection, and it can also be caused by Covid-19.
The benefits of Vaccination with the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine continue to greatly outweigh the risk of both Covid-19 infection and Vaccine side effects, including myocarditis.
The Pfizer Vaccine is highly effective in protecting against serious illness and death from Covid-19. The CV-ISMB remains confident about using the Pfizer Vaccine in New Zealand.
It is important to get information from official sources.
For visit www.covid19.govt.nz, www.health.govt.nz, or karawhiua.nz for information on Covid-19 in English and Maori.
For specific information about the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine, please visit the Medsafe website.
The Ministry of Health’s statement is available at https://www.health.govt.nz/news-media
Vaccination Rollout
Vaccination s are now available in a number of ways such as pharmacies and GPs.
From September 1, 2021, everyone aged 12 and over will be eligible to be vaccinated and can make a booking using BookmyVaccine.nz or by calling the Covid-19 Vaccination Healthline on 0800-282926 to book Vaccinations.
The Healthline is open from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week. Reminder to businesses, as there are opportunities available for your staff to be vaccinated, please encourage them to take them; there is no need to wait.
Since Wednesday, August 25, 2021, when New Zealanders, aged 30 plus became eligible to receive a Vaccination, there have been 382,491 bookings made in this age group. That means, 77% of Kiwis 30 plus are either booked or vaccinated in just the five days since the government opened up to this group.
Last week set another record for the Vaccination campaign. On Thursday, August 26, 2021, was our biggest day ever with just over 91,700 Vaccines administered, and in total 545,004 doses delivered across the week. This surge in Vaccination means that 52% of the eligible population has had at least one Vaccine and 28% are now fully vaccinated.
The booking system continues to perform well with 1,922,064 Vaccination s currently booked in the system and an average wait time of 38 days between making a booking and receiving the first dose.
Source: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Wellington
