Covid 19 Delta outbreak: PM's call to action - don't wait, get vaccinated now

Name: Focus Live: Level 4 in Auckland extended, rest of NZ to stay in level 2
Uploaded: 2021-09-13T16:00:00+12:00
Description: September 13 2021 Auckland will remain at level 4 for another week, until 11.59pm on September 21. Level 2 will remain in place for the rest of New Zealand for another week, and Cabinet will review these settings on Monday next week.

By Lincoln Tan

Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·

13 Sep, 2021 04:54 AM3 mins to read

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September 13 2021 Auckland will remain at level 4 for another week, until 11.59pm on September 21. Level 2 will remain in place for the rest of New Zealand for another week, and Cabinet will review these settings on Monday next week.

The Prime Minister is asking people who have Covid-19 vaccination bookings after this week to cancel them and get an earlier one, or go to a walk-in.

Jacinda Ardern is asking people to not wait for their bookings but to have their jabs now.

"This is a call to action because we need everyone vaccinated in New Zealand," Ardern said.

"At level 4 in Auckland, you can leave your house to go get your jab."

She called on all New Zealanders, especially Aucklanders, to get vaccinated, and that even one dose helps.

Ardern's call comes as the announcement was made that Auckland was to remain at lockdown alert level 4 until 11.59pm, Tuesday September 21.

"We want everyone in NZ vaccinated. Let's get on with it," she said.

Cases are still emerging from three clusters, and of the clusters from the last two weeks 17 remains unlinked.

Aucklanders can leave the house at alert level 4 to get vaccinated. Photo / Supplied

But mystery cases are still coming through and these are being found through surveillance testing rather than through contract tracing.

"This is the concern," Ardern said.

"If you happen to be one of those mystery cases then I want you to be vaccinated."

"Our strategy is to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate," Ardern said.

"Vaccinations make all the difference, get vaccinated today."

Ardern said "we don't want to be using lockdowns forever" to containing the virus.

"Last year we had lockdowns. Right now, we have vaccinations. This is what makes the difference here. We need people to be vaccinated," she said.

Bloomfield reiterated the importance of getting New Zealand vaccinated to the highest level possible.

He said there was still more work to do when it comes to vaccination rates among Maori.

However, Bloomfield said they have seen progress, especially in Auckland, which was good to see.

He said the challenge and focus needs to be on getting vaccination rates up among young Māori people.

Bloomfield said they are watching very closely what's happening overseas, especially countries that do have high vaccination rates, like the United Kingdom.

"We can learn from these countries, including the impact on the health system," he said.

"The aim for us, as it has always been, is for the highest possible vaccination rates in Aotearoa New Zealand."

Yesterday Arden announced a deal with Denmark for 500,000 more doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

The new vaccines are set to arrive in the country later this week.

Ardern said this will bolster the vaccine rollout for the rest of the month, ahead of the large planned shipments in October.

Half a million Aucklanders are now fully vaccinated.