Alarm Bells Should Be Ringing On COVID 19 Testing In Taranaki

Ngati Ruanui is expressing some serious concerns about the response from the Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB) to the COVID 19 virus being found in the waste water system of New Plymouth.

Kaiwhakahaere, Rachel Rae, said that given the population of Taranaki is highly mobile throughout the region it is extremely unsettling to find out that no other regional waste water systems are being monitored for the virus. Why is Hawera, Patea, Eltham and Stratford wastewater plants not monitored? We could have community transmission without having any monitoring. Is this a region of two halves?

We are also concerned about the use of primary health staff, our GP staff, to support the TDHB COVID testing centres. This is just shifting the burden of effort onto the smallest workforce who is already under strain and already spearheading the vaccination roll out said Rae.

Ngati Ruanui is also questioning the plan for testing and why it appears to be made up on the spot. This is a fundamental plan that should be in place and adequately resourced.

What happens if community transmission is present what is the TDHB plan then, there appears to be none said Rae.

Some serious questions need to be asked about just how prepared we are as a region. Alarm bells should be ringing.

© Scoop Media