Updates of Ngāti Porou Response to COVID-19
Yesterday the national four-week lockdown began and Ngati Porou Hauora urges all our whanau to help eradicate Te Mate Karauna (Covid 19) by staying at home, and only venturing outside to access essential services or for exercise.
“Me noho ki te kainga e te iwi,” says Rose Kahaki, Chief Executive for Ngati Porou Hauora. “To break the transmission chain of the virus we all need to practice self-isolation and social distancing under the Level 4 alert.”
“This means only having one designated person leaving your house to get stores from the shop. Or to visit one of our Hauora clinics as directed by clinic staff or to pick up your medicine. Going for a walk to get some exercise is okay, but when-ever you do leave your property and are around other people that are not from your household, please remember to practice being at least 2 metres away from them.”
“We also support the pleas made recently by Tairawhiti emergency services, and ask our whanau to not go out hunting,fishing, gathering kaimoana or horse riding. If there is an accident or incident, this potentially exposes the emergency crews, their whanau, and health care workers to transmission of the virus. It also places more strain on the health services of our district. We are all in this together.”
“We support the work over the past few days of the Health Protection Officers from Hauora Tairawhiti DHB.”
“They have been meeting all passengers arriving at Gisborne Airport to ensure they are aware of self-isolation protocols. This includes not only providing information to whanau returning from overseas, but also to whanau coming back from around the country and visitors from outside the region.”
“The Health Protection team have also been following up on the safety and well-being of local people who have been referredto them by Healthline. Some of these people have arrived into the country within the last 2 weeks and were instructed to self-isolate, and to keep away from other whanau members within their household. We are working closely with Hauora Tairawhiti, and made aware of developments as they arise.”
“In the last few days there were rumours of a suspected Covid 19 whanau member in Ruatoria, causing a high volume of concerns from members of the community. We are here to reassure you this is not the case. We have followed up with the whanau and the Health Protection team, and we can confirm that the person has been tested and the test has been proven negative.“
“We need to continue to be vigilant, and we will work together with the Health Protection team and whanau, to ensure our whanau are safe and practicing self-isolation (including bubble within a bubble).”
“As of 1pm yesterday, there were no reported cases of Covid 19 in the Tairawhiti region. To ensure it stays that way, and to keep our pakeke and whanau are safe, we must all continue to be vigilant, remember to horoi o tatau ringaringa, practice social distancing when around others outside our households, and to keep trips outside the home to a minimum.”
“We also urge voluntary members supporting the community to keep safe, abide by the rules and ensure you maintain a 2 meter distance away from others. If there are any concerns, contact Ngati Porou Hauora.”
“To be informed with latest national developments, we encourage you to watch the daily briefings by the Prime Minister and Director General of Health on television and social media. They usually occur around midday or early afternoon.”
· If you think you have Covid-19 symptoms, please call the Healthline number 0800 358 5453. If you can’t get through to the Healthline, call your local NPH health clinic.
· To read the statement about NPH’s recent changes to operating health services in the rohe, go to the website www.nph.org.nz
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