Kei ngā iho pūmanawa o te pūnaha hauora, whaikaha hoki, tēnei te reo mihi ki a koutou katoa.

My whakaaro are with whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau who are currently dealing with flooding in addition to this latest outbreak. As the Prime Minister said, emergency situations and evacuation override any Alert Level requirements. The most important thing is keeping our people safe.

So, if you’re advised to evacuate, please do. We know some bubbles will be joining other whānau for shelter and this is kei te pai. Please look out for yourselves and reach out for help and support if in need, it is available.

Hei whakamaumahara anō, everywhere south of the Tāmaki Makaurau boundary will move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm tonight. This setting will remain in place for one week and Cabinet will review this decision on Monday 6 September. Tāmaki will remain at Alert Level 4 for a further two weeks, and Cabinet will meet on Monday 13 September to review this setting. Finally, Te Tai Tokerau is expected to remain at Alert Level 4 until 11.59pm this Thursday. Cabinet will review this setting later in the week.

Latest update on the outbreak

There are 49 new cases of COVID-19 in the community today. All 49 cases are in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The total number of community cases is now 612 – with 597 in Tāmaki Makaurau and 15 in Pōneke.

As our Director-General mentioned earlier, today’s number of new community cases is a decline on yesterday’s number and is our lowest number in six days.

This provides reassuring confirmation that our public health measures are rapidly slowing the spread of the virus.

Nā reira, kia ū tonu tātou ki ngā tikanga hauora, let’s keep up the good mahi, it’s working.

Update on the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out

Yesterday, 76,354 vaccines were administered to whānau throughout the motu. Of these 53,032 were first doses and 23,322 were second doses.

More than 3.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to date. Of these, over 2.2 million are first doses and more than 1.18 million are second doses.

Regarding the Māori roll-out, more than 202,000 Māori have received their first vaccination and over 106,000 have also had their second vaccinations.

From tomorrow, Wednesday 1 September, everyone in Aotearoa who is 12 years and over will be eligible to get a vaccination.

This is exciting news for our young population, so please encourage all your friends and whânau to book in for their vaccines ASAP. You can do this online, or by calling 0800 28 29 26.

Again, the only thing you need to be eligible to get a vaccination is to be here in Aotearoa. You do not need to bring ID with you, and you do not need an NHI number to get vaccinated.

Travel between regions at Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 4

With the differing Alert Levels, I know there’s been some confusion amongst whānau as to what that means for travel.

Kia mōhio mai, travel across an Alert Level 4 and Alert Level 3 boundary is strictly limited to essential movement. This is an important way to manage the risk of the virus spreading, so we can keep our communities safe.

You may only travel between Alert Level 4 and Alert Level 3 areas if that travel is permitted.

You can view the full list of permitted travel on the the Unite Against COVID website. It includes travelling for emergencies, healthcare, vaccinations, and urgent care of tamariki.

If your personal travel across the boundary is already permitted, you can cross the boundary and do not need to apply for an exemption to travel. You just need to make sure you have acceptable evidence to travel. You can find out what this looks like here, simply click on one of the list items and you’ll seen an explanation of the evidence you need.

If your reason for travelling isn’t permitted, you will need to apply for an exemption. This can be done on the Ministry of Health website.

Tangihanga at Alert Level 3

With some of our whânau moving to Alert Level 3 at midnight, it’s important we are reminded about what that means for tangihanga.

At Alert Level 3, you can hold a tangihanga or nehunga, but these are limited to 10 people. The 10-person limit includes kaikaranga, kaikōrero, members of the clergy or kaimahi who are attending.

Formal tangihanga involving large gatherings cannot take place at Alert Level 3.

Up to 10 people in the same bubble may go to view the tūpapaku at the funeral home. Other whānau can also view the body by appointment, but only in groups of up to 10 who live in the same bubble.

We’re encouraging whānau to kôrero with their funeral directors about specific arrangements, including how to maintain physical distance.

Funeral directors can also provide guidance on the best options for whānau, which may include livestreaming or video so others can take part in the service remotely.

No kai or drink can be served, and physical distancing should be maintained between people.

If you are attending a tangihanga, you are encouraged to:

keep 2 metres from people you do not live with

avoid physical contact, including harirū, hongi, and awhi,

wear a face covering.

Whânau can still access healthcare throughout the motu

Finally, it’s important anyone who needs care, for any reason, seeks it, and does not delay.

I’ve heard reports of whānau across the motu delaying access in care and this is concerning.

Hospitals across the motu, including in Tāmaki Makaurau, are safely managing anyone who needs hospital level care. All health services are operating safely under the appropriate Alert Level protocols.

I have full confidence in our infection prevention and control measures in hospitals and in our kaimahi to manage cases of COVID-19 safely.

· Please remind your whānau to get help, healthcare, and support if they are in need.

Please remind your friends and whānau to get information on COVID-19 and the vaccine from our trusted sources – the Ministry of Health, Unite Against COVID, and Karawhiua channels.

For guidance on protecting yourself and your whānau from COVID-19 misinformation and scams, visit the Unite Against COVID website.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or my team at: maorihealth@health.govt.nz

Mâ te Atua tātou e tiaki i runga i ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā.

Nāhaku me aku mihi aroha,

Nā