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Hamilton, October 6, 2021
Following is a Press Statement from the Waikato Mongrel Mob Kingdom:
Indigenous health experts have highlighted that gang communities are high risk and need tailored intervention to minimise the spread of Covid-19 into wider communities.
As a part of supporting the government’s Covid Delta Strategy, the Mongrel Mob Kingdom has been liaising with the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC), Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS), and the New Zealand Police to assist in reaching hard to reach communities within gang chapters and associated whanau.
Cluster in Manukau
This work initially started with a cluster at the Assembly of God Church in Manukau which then extended to a Mongrel Mob Kingdom Chapter based in Auckland.
This required immediate intervention from the senior leadership in the Waikato Kingdom and this onsite intervention ensured compliance and welfare assistance was provided as needed. The Kingdom has collaborated closely with providers South Seas Healthcare and The Cause Collective based in South Auckland.
Sonny gets exemption
A request for assistance from the Crisis Management Team in South Auckland was made to Sonny Fatupaito to facilitate the process of members and their whanau being tested.
Sonny was given exemption to cross the Auckland boundary, to complete this essential work, this travel was conducted under strict Covid-19 protocols enforced by Health Authorities and the Police.
The Mongrel Mob Kingdom would like to thank South Seas Healthcare, particularly Lemalu Silao Vaisola-Sefo and his team and Jerome Mika and Danny Leaosava’ii from the Cause Collective for all the medical and social service support they have contributed towards caring for our Pasifika families.
The high level of risk is far from over, the Mongrel Mob Kingdom will be facilitating further educational health programs in Waikato.
Workshop on October 16
To this end, a Covid-19 Education Workshop on October 16, 2021 will be held in Hopuhopu, with indigenous health experts, Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen from Te Ropu Whakakaupapa Uruta (National Maori Pandemic Group) and Associate Professor Collin Tukuitonga from the Public Health department at the University of Auckland.
This event is designed to give our members and their whanau, accurate and relevant information towards protecting their whanau from Covid-19 and will give our members the opportunity to question the experts, particularly surrounding much of the online social media content about the Covid vaccine. The event will also include a pop-up vaccination site for members wanting to vaccinate themselves and their whanau.
It is hoped that vaccine hesitancy groups and hard to reach communities will also heed the warnings and support strategies that Health Authorities are developing in what is a challenging time for everyone. The consequence of failure is something many other countries have seen, hopefully, New Zealand will continue to enjoy the benefits that isolation and strict contact protocols have brought.
