Covid-19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: wild weather cancels vaccination pop-up

A new vaccination clinic at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri was a hive of activity on Wednesday with 450 people booked to get Covid jabs. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Wild weather cancelled just one Covid vaccination clinic in Northland as the region eagerly awaits Cabinet's decision today

on a possible drop to Alert Level 3.

As at yesterday morning,

123,996 does of Covid vaccine have been given in the region and the Northland District Health Board has moved into the final stage of its vaccination rollout. Bookings are now open to everyone over 12.

There were 75 new community cases and one MIQ case yesterday,

taking the number of overall Covid community cases in New Zealand to 687.

Thirty-two of the 687 community cases were in hospital - with eight in ICU including three on ventilators.

All vaccination bookings scheduled for yesterday at a pop-up hub in Kensington were cancelled due to the stormy weather but they will continue today, tomorrow,

and on Saturday.

The hub is a collaboration between Kensington Health, Central Family Health Care and
Bush Road Medical Centre and vaccinates on average about 230 people daily.

Central Family Health Care practice manager Ruth Redfern said the weather yesterday

was incredibly bad and nurses would have had to go into rain with very little cover to vaccinate people.

All the other centres run by NDHB, Ngati Hine Health Trust, and others ran as scheduled yesterday,

despite inclement weather.

The highest number of vaccinations administered on any day in Northland was 3718 on August 26.

There were 3280 vaccinations given on Tuesday this week and 163 Covid tests done that day.

Since community cases were discovered in Auckland on August 16, 7631 tests have been completed across Northland.

In Kerikeri, 450 people were due to get Covid-19 jabs at the newly set-up vaccination clinic at the Turner Centre yesterday

but they were instead done inside the Plaza with 2m social distancing rules applying.

Vaccinations had previously been done at the Kerikeri Sports Complex by the Heritage Bypass.

A health board spokeswoman said the clinic was flowing well yesterday morning

with no waiting required, but she advised people to bring reading material or some form of entertainment, snacks and water in case of delays.

Kerikeri's Covid tests continue to be carried out at the old Placemaker's site on Sammaree Place, off Mill Lane.

Northlanders have been urged to reserve their Covid vaccination spot at BookMyvaccine.nz and to call the Covid Vaccination Healthline (0800 28 29 26) for any queries.

They can also book directly at their local general practice, community pharmacy, or hauora provider.