Latest Update On COVID-19 Testing And Vaccinations

Thursday, 14 October 2021, 2:48 pm
Press Release: Waikato District Health Board

Today there are no new community cases of COVID-19 in the Waikato. The region has a total of 37 cases.

Location of COVID-19 cases

The two new cases identified today are members of the same household. Public Health staff are now working to confirm links to other Waikato cases.

New locations of interest in Hamilton and Raglan have been added to the Ministry of Health website: https://www.health.govt.nz/locationsofinterest

COVID-19 detected in Te Awamutu wastewater – pop-up testing site today

A wastewater sample taken at Te Awamutu on October 12 has now tested positive.

Waikato DHB’s Public Health team is investigating whether this is an indication of a new positive case, or a recovered case shedding the virus.

While this work is underway, the DHB is asking people in the town to continue following the Alert Level 3 guidance and to seek a test if they have any COVID-19 symptoms or have visited a location of interest.

People should seek a test locally wherever possible and a pop-up testing centre will be at Te Awamutu Event Centre carpark from 2pm – 5pm today. Testing is also available from GPs in the area.

Pop-up testing and vaccinations continue to operate in Raglan at the rugby grounds car park with testing at the Raglan Area School.

Pop-up testing continues in Hamilton at Claudelands Event Centre and Te Kōhao Health on Wairere Drive, alongside the ongoing community testing centre at Founders Theatre.

Super Saturday’s coming to the Waikato – 16 October – operating under Alert Level 3

Pop-up vaccination sites, drive-throughs, prizes, extended hours, music and kai are on offer to encourage the people of Waikato to turn out in force for their COVID-19 vaccinations this Saturday (16 October).

Getting higher numbers fully vaccinated is going to make a major difference in how we deal with COVID-19 in the community. It should reduce the need for lockdowns and give us more opportunity to get out and about.

People can pop down to 66 sites across the Waikato on Saturday without a booking. Anyone aged over 12 who hasn’t been vaccinated yet or had their first vaccination at least three weeks ago can drop in and get vaccinated on the spot.

The event is also aimed at people who were unsure about being vaccinated. Each site would have health experts on hand to answer questions. It will be a good place to come down and have a chat and receive accurate information – no judgement and no obligations.

Schools, marae and churches were hosting vaccination clinics, community leaders and local groups were helping with promotion, and businesses had offered prizes and free food. Local radio stations had also jumped on board to help encourage people along on Saturday.

Waikato’s kaupapa Māori and Pacific providers, pharmacies and GPs were also continuing their strong support for the vaccination programme and the region’s seven community vaccination clinics would all be open.]

A big ‘thank you’ to communities and businesses supporting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Details for Super Saturday in the Waikato are on the Waikato DHB website at www.waikatodhb.health.nz/supersaturday.

Waikato reaches 500,000 vaccination milestone

Waikato continues with its vaccination effort with our 500,000th vaccine delivered today at Taumarunui Community Kokiri Trust Community Vaccination Centre.

We have now reached with over 70,000 Waikato Māori now with their first vaccination with the 70,000th dose given to a woman receiving her second dose in Thames Community Vaccination Centre.

Total tests processed in Waikato on Wednesday 13 October: 2644

People can also get tested on appointment at GP practices across the region, including designated GP practices that take enrolled and non-enrolled patients. See Healthpoint for a full list of options.

It is important that our testing facilities are available for those priority individuals who meet the criteria for seeking a test at this time. This allows us to rapidly investigate whether there has been any community spread.

Anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms, is following guidance relating to a location of interest or has been directed by Healthline or a GP should seek a test immediately.

Otherwise, people should call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or their GP for guidance before seeking a test.

It is free to get a COVID-19 test, wherever you go.

COVID-19 testing centres

The availability of community testing centres is based on our assessment of demand and may change daily. Locations for community testing are updated in this advisory, on our website, on Healthpoint and on our Facebook page as soon as they are confirmed for the next day.

Te Awamutu

Te Awamutu Event Centre carpark

Gorst Avenue, Te Awamutu

Thursday, 2 - 5pm

Raglan

Raglan Area School, Norrie Ave, Raglan

Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 1pm

Hamilton

Founders Theatre car park

Entrance off Norton Road

8am - 4.30pm

Claudelands Event Centre

Gate 3, Brooklyn Road

10am - 6pm

Te Kohao Health,

951 Wairere Drive, Hamilton East

Thursday - 10am - 4pm

GP practices

General practices across the Waikato are testing patients and designated GPs are testing non-patients also. See Healthpoint for a full list of GPs offering COVID-19 testing or call your GP to check. COVID-19 tests are free. Please ring first to make an appointment.

Update on COVID-19 vaccinations in the Waikato DHB region

Reporting on vaccination rates is provided at TLA level. This data is as at 11am, 14 October 2021.

Data at SA2 level (approximately equivalent to suburb) is available on the Ministry of Health website.

Vaccination data

To date (as at 9am 13 October), 499,011 COVID-19 vaccinations have been delivered in the Waikato.

• 287,348 first doses have been administered
• 211,663 second doses have been administered
• On Wednesday 13 October, 6,328 vaccinations were delivered across the Waikato.

Pop-up vaccination sites and vaccination clinics

There are number of pop-up vaccination centres operating across the Waikato this week in North Waikato, Hamilton and surrounds, Waipa, South Waikato and Ruapehu district.

• Mobile vaccination clinics are rolling out across the takiwā with regular visits to locations through to the end of the year. The schedule is on the Waikato DHB website and will be regularly updated with more dates and locations.
• Also visit the Waikato DHB FB page for up to date mobile vaccination clinic locations.
• In Hamilton and elsewhere in the Waikato, you can get your vaccinations at GPs, pharmacies, mobile sites and at our vaccination centres. There's lots of options, so come along and meet the friendly vaccination teams.
• Walk-in appointments are available at many vaccination sites across the Waikato.
• People can now also bus free to and from their vaccination appointment if they show proof of their booking. See busit.co.nz/vaccination for more details.

Reminder - Making a vaccination appointment

Although walk-ins are available at many vaccination sites, the best way of guaranteeing a vaccination on the time, day and place of your choosing is still to book.

• If you have made a booking and are not able to attend your appointment, please cancel your booking so someone else can use that appointment time.
• If you are unsure when your appointment is, check on the booking system at https://app.bookmyvaccine.covid19.health.nz/manage using your contact number or email address and booking reference. Alternatively, you can call 0800 28 29 26 for assistance.
• Everyone aged 12+ can now visit bookmyvaccine.nz to make their bookings.
• We ask everyone when attending their appointments under Alert Level 3 to follow the key public health measures detailed on the Unite Against COVID-19 website.

Update on changes to hospital services

To help protect our patients, staff and community as our Public Health service investigate these cases, Waikato DHB is limiting the number of people at our facilities.

A restricted visitor policy was put in place from Sunday afternoon in response to the two new community cases. The full policy can be viewed on our website.

From 4 October non-urgent face-to-face outpatient appointments, community services and surgeries have been deferred.

Wherever possible we will be shifting appointments to phone and/or telehealth options.

We acknowledge this will cause some inconvenience and appreciate the community’s understanding as we prioritise patient safety at this time. As our investigations progress we will continue to review this approach.

DHB staff will be contacting affected individuals with urgent procedures to confirm their appointments are going ahead or to provide details for telehealth.

Anyone who is not contacted prior to their appointment should please assume it has been deferred and they will be contacted at a later date to reschedule as required.

If people have flu-like symptoms

Do not come into the hospital if you have cold or flu-like symptoms.

If you are concerned about your risk of COVID-19, please ring Healthline (0800 358 5453). They will tell you if you need to be tested and what to do next.

• It is free to get a COVID-19 test
• GPs are able to provide assessment and testing – please phone your practice first
• Please do not turn up to your GP without an appointment
• After hours, you can be seen at an urgent care clinic
• We recommend you take your NHI number with you, which can speed up the timeframe to receive your test results.

© Scoop Media

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