Covid 19: Northlanders urged to get vaccinated as region lags behind rest of country

Health officials are urging Northlanders to get Covid vaccinations and booster jabs, with the region one of only three in the country yet to hit the 90 per cent vaccination target.

Northland is one of only three regions in the country yet to hit the 90 per cent Covid vaccination target, with health officials urging people to get their jabs and boosters.

Northland, at 85 per cent, has the lowest fully vaccinated rate in the country, with Lakes and Tairāwhiti the only other DHBs below 90 per cent.

Northland is also the only region still under the red light of the Government's Covid traffic-light system, mainly due to its low vaccination rate.

There were no new cases of Covid 19 reported in Northland yesterday and one case reported the previous day has been reclassified as historical. There have been no new Northland locations of interest added in the past few days.

A Northland DHB spokesperson said the best protection against Covid-19 is vaccination and urged people who had yet to get vaccinated to do so.

Northland DHB also strongly encourages people to get tested over the holidays if they have cold or flu symptoms.

There are vaccination clinics and testing stations open throughout the holidays in Northland, with details of all sites, including opening hours, available at https://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/home/covid-19 .

''Continue to take the usual steps to protect yourself against Covid-19; wear a face mask when you're visiting shops or businesses, or accessing healthcare, and use the Covid-19 tracer app to scan everywhere you go. The best protection against Covid-19 is vaccination,'' the spokesperson said.

''Stay home if you are unwell – do not travel – and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice. Have a plan ready in case you and your whānau need to isolate at home – see our website for tips.''

NDHB is also urging people to get their booster jabs to help protect against the Omicron variant if it escapes into the community.

From now, people aged 18 and over can get a booster dose at vaccination sites that accept walk-ins or drive-throughs.

People can book by calling the Covid Vaccination Healthline on 0800 282 926 (seven days a week from 8am to 8pm) or by making an appointment directly with general practices, Māori health providers, or community pharmacies that operate their own booking systems.

On January 17 people will also be able to book their booster vaccine online via the BookMyVaccine site. The Ministry of Health is currently making the technology changes to accommodate this from January 17.