Fears Covid patients may be missing out

Patients who don’t upload their RAT test results could risk missing out on antiviral treatments, a Nelson GP is warning.

This month, the Ministry of Health broadened the scope for people to access the antiviral medication which can help treat Covid-19, with the change taking effect from July 18.

But Nelson GPS spokesman Dr Graham Loveridge said people who failed to upload their positive RAT results could be missing out, because their GP was unaware they were sick.

When results were uploaded, the practice would be alerted, and a GP would know if they met the criteria and be able to contact the patient and offer the medication, he said.

‘‘Their practice won’t know unless they upload their RAT test results.

‘‘The critical thing is for GPS to know that someone’s got the Covid infection, because you need to [take the medication] within the first five days,’’ he said.

Blenheim will have its wettest July on record if it gets the amount of rain forecast for this week.

The region is waterlogged again after two days of heavy rain, causing slips, flooding and a raft of road closures, including State Highway 1 between Blenheim and Seddon for the second time in two weeks. SH1 reopened to one lane about 3pm yesterday.

Blenheim had, by 4pm yesterday, received about 160 millimetres of rain for the month of July. The wettest July on record was 174.1mm in 1998.

Plant and Food Marlborough scientist Rob Agnew predicted the region would get another 18mm by 7am tomorrow.

The Wairau River was running high and muddy from two days’ worth of heavy rain further up the valley.

Debris floating down the river had been piling up underneath the State Highway 1 bridge and diggers were brought in on both Monday and yesterday to clear the logs and branches and keep the river flowing.

Tuamarina resident Alister Neal said he saw truckloads of mainly wattle and willow branches collected from the water, some stacked on the riverside and some taken away.

Neal said he thought there was much more wood debris than usual because the council last year banned people from taking timber from the riverbed for firewood.

‘‘They had a few idiots taking live stuff, and cutting stuff that shouldn’t have been cut.

‘‘Before that you could take it from the bed, but not the bank.’’

As a result of the ban, Neal would soon have to buy firewood, for the first time in more than a decade, he said.

Waka Kotahi NZTA top of the south systems manager Andrew James said contractors had removed a large logjam from the Wairau River Bridge, to relieve pressure on the bridge.

‘‘Our contractors did have to wait for river levels to drop before doing the clean-up. But they have now managed to clear all the debris. There are no safety concerns regarding the bridge.’’

A single lane of SH1 was cleared for use under stop-go conditions just after 3pm, James said. However, he warned road users the clean-up would continue, and drivers should be prepared for road works and delays.

‘‘This is Marlborough’s third big dump of rain in recent weeks. Our maintenance crews are hard at work clearing slips and fixing other damage. This work will take some time, but we are trying to get it done as quickly as possible.’’

Large swathes of rural land became rivers and ponds yesterday, causing about a dozen roads to be closed across the region.

SH63, which became the main alternate route for traffic diverted from the SH1 closure, had several parts covered in surface flooding and was to remain closed at the intersection with Anglesea overnight, with diversions through Renwick.

A vineyard sprayer being towed by a tractor tipped over in flooding at the intersection of SH63 and Waihopai Valley Rd yesterday morning. Workers that righted the vehicle said the driver had misjudged the depth. The sprayer would need to be repaired.

However, the heavy rain watch for Marlborough ended about noon yesterday, according to Metservice. Rain was forecast to continue all week, but clear by Monday.

Te Rapa near Wharanui had the most rain by 3pm yesterday at 54mm, followed by Ward with 50mm, and Onamalutu with 46mm, according to the council’s rain report.

Agnew said Blenheim’s highest ever monthly total rainfall was 191.5mm, recorded in September 1943.