Tourism businesses have been doing it tough with the lockdowns Photo / Supplied
Tourism businesses have been doing it tough with the lockdowns Photo / Supplied
Getting Northland to the 90 per cent vaccination rate will be a bigger challenge than it is for many other regions, says Dr Shane Reti.
Yesterday's announcement that all district health boards must reach a 90 per cent vaccination rate within their regions before a new "traffic light" system isput in place has drawn frustration and scorn from the National Party's deputy leader and health spokesman.
When each DHB hits the target, the three-light green, orange and red system will come into effect, with red being the most restrictive and green allowing more freedom, relying on vaccine certificates.
Yesterday, of Northland's 164,939 eligible population, 57.70 per cent were fully vaccinated and 14.80 per cent had received their first dose only. A further 27.5 per cent remained unvaccinated. Auckland sits at almost 80 per cent fully vaccinated.
Northland DHB was unavailable to comment yesterday on what the new system meant for the region.
Whangārei-based list MP Reti was frustrated with the announcement and said the country is paying the price for "late and lazy information".
"This is adding another very complex system; we started with levels then levels and steps, now traffic lights. Each has been very complex and we face losing New Zealanders trying to understand.
National's deputy leader Dr Shane Reti at a pop-up vaccination clinic last week hoped to reach the unvaccinated in far-flung places and those hesitant. Photo / Michael Cunningham
"It's also interesting that DHBs are mechanisms to decide our social and economic future when, this week, [Health Minister] Andrew Little introduced a bill that's going to change the health system. You can't have it both ways. It's terrible timing to restructure the health system during a pandemic."
Reti said reaching the 90 per cent goal was going to be a challenge everywhere, not just for Northland. However, he added that pre-Covid, Northland held the second-highest rate in the country for people refusing to get their under-2-year-olds vaccinated.
"I'm frustrated that we are so late to vaccinate and frustrated for businesses and for people who want to and need to visit loved ones. We're paying the price for late and lazy information and I have grave concerns for the outlook both socially and economically.
"That being said, I have hope for Northland. I have belief that we can boost our vaccination rate right up through the ceiling and I will help reach those Northlanders."
He said it had been easy to get those already vaccinated but the challenge would now be reaching groups such a those in remote areas and those hesitant or with information barriers.
More support for Māori health providers was needed, he said.
"You would hope the $120 million fund [announced yesterday to accelerate Māori vaccination rates] will have some impact, but everyone is questioning what the first $250m has done and where that has been spent.
"My observation working with Kia Ora Ngāti Wai over the last few weeks is that people want to do the right thing. We've just got to make it easy for them.
"I don't think we should stigmatise any region, just like we shouldn't stigmatise Māori for holding us back. It is not a regional problem, it's a problem for all of us.
"I'm frustrated and worried for what continuing lockdowns are doing to the fabric, not just of Auckland, but the fabric of New Zealand. However, we have to maintain hope and keep pushing forward."
In yesterday's announcement, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the resurgence support payment would be doubled, up to $43,000, along with further wage subsidy and a $60m package for the Regional Business Partner Programme and mental health support.
However, the assistance appeared to be aimed at Auckland and Waikato only.
Northland tourism leader and Dive Tutukaka co-owner Jereon Jongejans hoped Northland would be included in more government funding for businesses.
Northland tourism leader and Dive Tutukaka co-owner Jeroen Jongejans said there would need to be lobbying if Northland wasn't included in further financial assistance because Northland is very much an island dependent on Auckland.
"If it's just Auckland and Waikato, I'd be feeling very disappointed because we in the tourism industry are very much affected by what's going on in Auckland," Jongejans said.
"Their lockdown means we don't have any customers. Last year, we lost international tourists, followed by domestic, then when we went from level 2 to 3 two weeks ago, we lost a whole lot more."
With that snap lockdown, the business lost $70,000 overnight with the cancellation of confirmed bookings, he said.
"You have all your overheads and now bad weather, we've missed out on the school holidays and now we're missing out on the long weekend. It's all been taken away and that's just us, we're just an illustration of what is happening in the north.
"But there is light on the horizon, it's just about being able to hang on in there but we're all hanging on to the end of a string. Elastic only stretches so far and for a lot of businesses in Northland, that elastic is really stretched.
"If business is bad over there, it's bad over here so [financial assistance] is very much required in the north and if it's not included then that would be upsetting.
"We're just isolated and I hope that the Government's recognised Northland's unique position on the geographical make-up and how we are affected."
Further information for the new Covid-19 Protection Framework can be found at: https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/covid-19-protection/
