Labour Party Ethnic Communities Team
Wellington, September 1, 2021
We want to thank everyone here in Aotearoa for all of your hard work over the past few weeks as we have stayed home to help stop the spread of Covid-19.
Our job is not done yet, but we have made a great start – and we know that, together, we are stronger than the virus.
It has been great to see so many people following the Alert Level 4 rules over the past weeks and to see some of the creative ways you have brightened up life in your bubbles.
However, we know that life at Alert Level 4 can be tough.
Our communities here in Auckland are doing a huge service for all New Zealanders and have been since the start of the pandemic. It has required us all to make sacrifices, but together, we have stepped up and worked hard to keep everyone safe during outbreaks.
It has not been easy, but we know the rest of the country is grateful for our efforts.
Confidence to move alert levels
If we can keep up these key health measures a bit longer, we will be able to stamp out Covid once more and enjoy the freedoms for which we have worked so hard.
To shift down an alert level in Auckland, we need to be totally confident that Covid, specifically, the more infectious Delta variant that we’re now dealing with – isn’t circulating undetected in the community.
When we made the decision to move into Alert Level 4, only one case had been detected.
As we have seen, one case quickly became hundreds: it took just one week to spread across the city. Delta is faster and more infectious than previous variants. That is why we are working hard to get this right – and what we are doing is working.
Moving to Alert Level 4 seems to have limited the spread of the virus around New Zealand, and here in Auckland, we are seeing daily case numbers go down.
We are making progress, but we are not quite there yet.
This is why we will be staying at Alert Level 4 until at least Tuesday, September 14, 2021.
Vaccination imperative
That will give experts time to get a clearer picture of the outbreak and to establish whether any transmission is occurring outside households.
Until that time, keep in mind that the simplest way for us to stop the spread is to stay home. If you go out for essentials like groceries, mask up and scan. Stick to your bubble. Get tested if you have symptoms or are considered a contact and, if you have not yet, we encourage you to book in for a vaccine.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones, and our vaccination rollout is continuing safely at Alert Level 4. Everyone aged 12 and over is now able to book their vaccine, so head to www.bookmyvaccine or call 0800-282926 to make your appointment.
Thanks again for doing your bit. By staying home and sticking to your bubble, you are protecting your community as well as the rest of the country. You are also helping to ensure that everyone here in Auckland can get back to Alert Level 1 as soon as safely possible.
The above article was sent by the Labour Party Ethnic Communities Team. The names and photographs of the members of the Team appear with this article.
