Kiwis flock for boosters as Covid-19 cases reach record high
Kiwis flocked to vaccination centres yesterday as a record number of Covid cases were reported in the country.
The 243 new community cases marked the highest tally since the pandemic began, and epidemiologist Michael Baker said the number would continue to rise rapidly :‘‘We can expect periods of getting deaths every day instead of them being an uncommon event.’’
Because New Zealand has been so good at managing Covid, Omicron’s peak will come a shock, although there is cause for optimism: the outbreak’s intensity will pass quickly, Baker said, and Kiwis can manage the risks if they’re fully vaccinated.
‘‘It will peak in the next few weeks and people need to take the chance now to get boosted.’’
Yesterday, Kiwis were doing exactly that, and the long lines outside a Porirua City vaccination clinic were a welcome sight for clinical leader Helen Hartley. Despite receiving no warning of the change in the wait period for boosters, she said supplies were in no danger of running out.
In Hamilton, Raukura Hauora o Tainui administrator Nadia Matthews said it had been busy but ‘‘we don’t do paediatric vaccinations here yet, so when people rock up to get their boosters with their kids we have to turn them away’’.
The vaccination clinic in the Te Awa shopping centre was also doing good business, and in Nelson, where there are 17 active cases, a ‘‘steady stream’’ of people were getting vaccinated at the Trafalgar Centre,
Nelson Bays Primary Health chief executive Sara Shaughnessy said.
There were no new cases reported in the region yesterday; Shaughnessy said this was due to the community taking heed of the rules and ensuring those who tested positive followed the guidelines.
Meanwhile, people waited inside for an hour or more to get vaccinated at MidCentral Health’s
family-friendly weekend vaccination event in Palmerston North. Nurse lead Sjaan Henry said no-one was being turned away. Some chose to leave and try again later, but most were happy to put up with the wait time. Christchurch’s wet weather was no deterrent either. Orchard Rd Covid-19 Vaccination Hub site co-ordinator Bridget Leggett said the turnout on Saturday had been ‘‘huge’’. The clinic had to restrict walk-ins to about 100 due to staffing, with more than 200 bookings. Most people were getting their boosters.
‘‘The demand is high in Christchurch at the moment – even though our cases are really low, people are wanting it.’’
Royal NZ College of General Practitioners director Dr Bryan Betty said yesterday’s high case numbers were anticipated. ‘‘I expect it to keep climbing quite rapidly and that will start to impact on workforce and chains supply as people isolate.’’
He said his Porirua practice had been incredibly busy with vaccinations. ‘‘It’s kicked off in a major way.This is potentially the final act of the pandemic in NZ, and we need to be ready.’’