“The vaccination strategy failed Māori and Pacific communities,” Smith said.

Mike Smith, a Māori leader from Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Kuri, said “a strong joint statement was presented to the Crown last night to make it absolutely clear that we reject the Traffic Light Framework”. “Our focus is now giving priority to keeping our communities safe” “Māori and Pacific vaccination rates have to increase to the same level as other New Zealanders otherwise the infection and mortality rate will disproportionally affect our vulnerable communities,” said Lisa Tumahai, chair of the Pandemic Response Group. The National Iwi Chairs Forum released a statement on Monday strongly rejecting a new “traffic light” system that the government has been considering to replace its existing alert levels. Prominent Māori groups have strongly opposed the prospect of loosened restrictions, and said it would lead to more deaths and illness in indigenous communities. It is not another attempt at elimination, but to keep spread in check while vaccination coverage climbs,” Hendy said. “The goal of a circuit breaker would be to contain spread so we can relax with case numbers that are manageable by targeted public health measures. He said on Monday that while that would not take New Zealand back to Covid zero, it could ensure cases did not outpace contact tracing and hospital capacity. Hendy has been calling for government to consider a “circuit breaker” temporary return to level 4 to interrupt virus transmission as vaccination rates rise.

While first doses hitting 90% was an important milestone, he said attention should be on the double-dosed figure. Pandemic modeller for research centre Te Punaha Matatini Shaun Hendy told Stuff on Monday that “relaxation at the moment would be very dangerous”. She also ruled out a short term level 4 “circuit breaker” lockdown to interrupt spread – saying that noncompliance meant it was less likely to be effective. It will include a high vaccination target. Twenty-four of Monday’s 60 cases have not yet been linked to existing infections, and 140 cases are unlinked from the past 14 days, suggesting there could be wider spread in the community.Īrdern said that the government would roll out a new “traffic light” framework for pandemic management, which will include a pathway out of lockdown, on Friday. New Zealand announced 60 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, with the total number of cases in the outbreak hitting 2,005. “The question for cabinet today has been how do we avoid a spike in case numbers, and hospitalisations, and protect vulnerable communities as much as possible in the coming weeks, while we keep lifting vaccination numbers.” “If we get this right, if we keep case numbers low while we vaccinate people then it makes it easier for us to keep control of Covid, while we ease restrictions in the future, and that is everyone’s goal,” she said. She said on Monday afternoon that restrictions would be needed for a while longer to avoid a spike in cases. Across the country, 82% of the eligible population (those aged 12 and over) have had at least one vaccination, or 70% of the total population 64% of the eligible population, or 55% of the full population are fully inoculated with both shots.Īrdern has not yet announced a specific point in vaccination levels where restrictions will be loosened, but has previously ruled out dropping public health measures before the country reaches 90%.

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