Aucklanders Reminded To Seek The Right Type Of Care As Case Numbers Grow

As case numbers continue to rise in Tāmaki Makaurau, the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC) is reminding people with COVID-19 to seek the right care for their needs.

This comes in response to a growing number of COVID-19 patients seeking help at emergency departments across Auckland for routine, non-urgent care.

Dr Sarah Hartnall, NRHCC Clinical Operations Lead, says it’s important to remember that most people, including children, will be able to safely isolate and recover at home with help from friends and whānau.

“For most people, they will be able to recover at home by themselves like they normally would with a cold or flu.

“If you start to feel worse, please stay at home and call your GP or Healthline on 0800 358 5453. All GP and urgent care clinic appointments for COVID-19 are free.

“If you or a family member becomes very unwell, like having difficulty breathing or chest pains, call 111 immediately. The ambulance will be free.

“Our hospital emergency departments are very busy, so please only go if it’s an emergency.”

Guidance on what to expect if you get COVID-19 and how to self-manage at home is available here. Healthline workers are also happy to provide advice, including in different languages.

Dr Hartnall says it’s a timely reminder about the importance of getting a booster, to help reduce the chances of you getting very sick and needing urgent care.

“If you are vaccinated and boosted you are likely to only have a mild illness and recover in a few days - some people will have no symptoms at all.

“With more than 760,000 Aucklanders now having had their booster dose, we’re also urging those over the age of 18 who had their second dose at least three months ago, to get theirs as soon as possible.

“While two doses provide some protection against Omicron, a booster is likely to offer greater protection against transmitting COVID-19 to others and reduce the chance of more serious infections.

“It also means reducing hospitalisations and putting less pressure on our health system,” Dr Hartnall says.

There are number of pop-up community events happening this weekend for whānau to head along to:

• Te Tai Aawa Drive Through, Sat 26 Feb, 9am - 2pm, Ōtara Road, Ōtara
• Reweti Marae Pop-up, Sat 26 Feb, 9am - 2pm, 1285 State Highway 16
• Bounce Event - Tamaki College, Sat 26 Feb, 10am - 3pm, 115 Taniwha Street, Glen Innes
• Tongan Health Society Event 2 Weslyan Church Mangere, Sat 26 Feb, 8:30am-5pm, 143 Favona Road, Mangere
• Reweti Marae - Drive Through, Sun 27 Feb, 10am-2pm, 1285 State Highway 16

People can walk in or drive up to all community vaccination centres, and also book in with GPs and pharmacies. There are currently more than 380 vaccinating GPs and pharmacies across the city. Individual bookings will be available at BookMyVaccine.nz, and bookings for two or more members of the whānau can be made by calling 0800 28 29 26.

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