Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Home-Delivered $1.90, Retail $2.20 Covid 19
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TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 COVID 19 • Log loading to resume at Eastland Port • Lake Waikaremoana to stay closed in Level 3 • Car dealers ‘reasonably optimistic’ • ‘The fight is far from over’: PM • Early childhood centres wary about reopening • Branson offers private island for Virgin bail-out • Worst of virus still to TEST, TEST, TEST: Public Health nurse Jodie Stevenson swabs Sue Blake at the Covid-19 mobile testing clinic in Gisborne yesterday. Gisborne’s first mobile clinic proved popular, with some people waiting more than an hour and a half to come, warns WHO be tested at St Mark’s Church in Elgin. Testing continued today at St Mark’s while a mobile clinic also began testing on the East Coast this morning at Potaka School. The clinics are a collaboration between Hauora Tairawhiti’s Public Health Unit and Ngati Porou Hauora. Walk-up swabbing is available for anyone who feels they need to be tested although people are reminded it is SEE PAGES 2-13, 17, for Covid-19 testing only. Venues and times for the clinics are on the Hauora Tairawhiti website under the public health section and on the Hauora Tairawhiti and Ngati Porou Hauora Facebook pages. Picture by Paul Rickard 22-23 PM not ruling out regional Could we approach to alert levels by Wynsley Wrigley essential travel between the provinces. Some reporters asked whether the PRIME Minister Jacinda Ardern says pandemic showed health boards were Tairawhiti could in the future drop to a “too localised” and pointed to the Simpson lower Alert Level ahead of most of the report. country. The report, officially known as the Speaking at yesterday’s press conference Health and Disability System Review go lower when she extended Alert Level 4 across interim report, describes the health system the entire nation to Monday, April 27, as being too complicated, fragmented and Ms Ardern said the Government had lacking in leadership, resulting in inequity considered a “regional and inefficiency. approach” where Tairawhiti Former Hauora Tairawhiti could benefit. Current data and board chairman David Scott Current data and has said the report could modelling showed it was modelling showed result in the amalgamation sooner? “best to stick together as it was “best to of district health boards. a nation” but a regional stick together as a Ms Ardern said her insight approach could not be ruled from the pandemic was out in the future. nation”... that there were areas of the Tairawhiti was one of the health system which were Over 900 tests done in Tairawhiti safer regions, said the Prime ‘’frankly unappreciated”. Minister. There might be benefits to greater COVID-19 testing in Tairawhiti has passed tested aligned with the district’s population The district has four cases — the lowest co-ordination but there were parts of the the 900 mark, with half of those for people proportions and national data. number of the country’s 20 district health health system doing an incredible job “day- who identify as Maori, says Hauora Tairawhiti “Swabbing is now available for anyone board areas. in, day-out, which was not always seen”. chief executive Jim Green. who feels that they need to be tested. “Tairawhiti, I know, is very much on Public health needed people “on the Testing data shows that of the 900 “This is part of our ongoing efforts across board with our goal to eliminate Covid-19.” ground with local knowledge who know people tested from March 10 to April 18, the district to reduce barriers to testing. Ms Ardern said some of the Covid-19 their local community”. 49.9 percent (or 449 people) were Maori, “By recently opening the War Memorial cases showed that travelling around the Greater national support was required 1.6 percent (16) identified as Pasifika, 48.4 Theatre assessment centre to ‘walk-ins’ and country was a concern. but local knowledge and expertise needed percent (434) identified with other ethnic creating mobile testing stations in Gisborne Director-General of Health Dr Ashley to be retained. groups and 0.1 percent (1) did not have their and the East Coast, the number of Maori Bloomfield, referring to a Northland More work needed to be done “but I’m ethnicity recorded. being tested is expected to increase. person infected while in Auckland, said not going to rebuild health in the middle of Mr Green said the number of Maori being CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 it remained important to prohibit non- a pandemic”. GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-4 National..... 6-10,17 World............ 13-14 Classifieds .........19 Births & Deaths ...4 Business ............11 Television ...........15 Sport.............21-24 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW Health...................5 Opinion ..............12 Racing ................18 Weather .............23 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Tuesday, April 21, 2020 COVID-19 tests completed by ethnicity 10 March-18 April 2020 Tests completed COVID-19 tests completed by age 10 March-18 April 2020 Testing helping to ‘keep us all safe’ FROM PAGE 1 Initially tests were done in designated general practices — Three Rivers Medical, Te Karaka Health Centre and Te Puia Springs Hospital. From March 23, testing in Gisborne was at a swabbing centre on the grounds of Three Rivers Medical and was moved to the War Memorial Theatre assessment centre on March 27. “Although nearly all the tests returned a negative result, it is still important that we test whenever people demonstrate potential symptoms in line with the Ministry of Health’s guidelines,’’ said Mr Green. “Obviously it’s critically important for us to know not only if Covid-19 is tracking its way across the community in general but how in particular it’s affecting our priority groups, including Maori and people in rural communities. “We are very grateful to people who come to get tested because in doing this they are helping us to keep all people safe.” Tests completed Testing figures show people aged between 20 and 29, and 50 and 59, have higher rates of testing in the district. People in those age groups are the most likely to have returned from travel overseas. Overseas travel was a focus for testing in the initial phase of the Covid-19 response in order to prevent people bringing it back into the country and spreading the virus. “Now the focus is wider as we look to protect individuals from the effects of the virus and to prevent spread,” said Mr Age bands Green. LOOKING AHEAD Get your FOCUS ON THE LAND Gisborne Herald home-delivered • New Zealand’s manuka honey exporters, including those in Tairawhiti, are smiling again and ironically it’s due to the Covid-19 crisis. • The weekly AgriHQ report for the week beginning April 20. THE GUIDE TOMORROW THURSDAY The Gisborne Herald, 64 Gladstone Road, P.O. Box 1143, Gisborne • Phone (06) 869 0600 • Fax (Editorial) (06) 869 0643 (Advertising) (06) 869 0644 Editor: Jeremy Muir • Chief Reporter: Andrew Ashton • Circulation: Cara Haines • Sports: Grant Miller/John Gillies To nd out more call 869 0620 e-mail: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] • web site: www.gisborneherald.co.nz The Gisborne Herald • Tuesday, April 21, 2020 NEWS 3 TASTE SENSATION: A freshly smoked kahawai manuka honey dish (inset, below) created by Ngati Porou Seafood food technologists and smokehouse operators has been named the Outstanding New Zealand Food Producer Awards’ seafood NZ water champion. “Beautifully moist . moreish . a good honest Kiwi fish celebrated and treated with love,” is how judges described the dish produced under Ahia, the Ngati Porou Seafoods’ brand for premium smoked white fish. Pictured before the Covid-19 lockdown are, from left, Ahia smokehouse head smoker Carl Riini, smokehouse team member Fiona Risetto, Ngati Porou Seafood food technologist Kahurangi McLeay and Ngati Porou Seafood group operations manager Ken Houkamau.The use of kahawai reflects Ngati Porou Seafoods’ move away from bulk-processing to a focus on creating diverse products from sustainable species. Picture supplied Waikaremoana staying closed Log ship ‘welcome ‘to protect communities and manuhiri’ sight’ after break LAKE Waikaremoana will remain closed to the THE log trade through Eastland Port been able to play a part in the national confidence.” public during Alert Level 3. resumes today after a break of three return-to-work for the export industry. She said there had been a lot of work Te Urewera Board chairman Tamati Kruger weeks. The protocols we have been working going on behind the scenes over the said the huts, campgrounds, boat ramps, walks The port has taken every precaution to on will be applied at ports across New lockdown period to ensure that the (including the Waikaremoana Great Walk) and protect staff from Covid-19. Zealand.” forestry workforce could operate at Level freedom camping areas will remain closed at Eastland Port was granted a He said despite regional economic 3, and that all steps were being taken to Alert Levels 3 and 4. Hunting and fishing would dispensation from the Ministry of benefits in a challenging time, the safety ensure their health, and safety at work, also not be permitted in Te Urewera at those alert Transport to begin exporting logs while of people working at the port was the under Covid-19. levels either. the country remains in Level 4 lockdown. number one priority. “I would like to acknowledge the work This was to protect the health and safety The dispensation allows the port to “Of course, no matter how essential that Andrew Gaddum from Eastland Port of potential manuhiri (visitors) and local export logs already in the port storage the forestry industry may be to our and Ian Brown from Aratu have put into communities, he said.