Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Vaccination centre to target virus hotspot in South Auckland

Cameron Webb (left), general manager operations for Deejays, and Randwick Park resident Dave Tims get food parcels ready for tomorrow's vaccination centre. Photo / Supplied

The fight is on to protect the small suburb of Randwick Park in South Auckland where there is a low uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Randwick Park, named the Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year in 2017, population 6000, has been slow to respond to the goal of getting at least 90 per cent of New Zealand protected against the virus.

Tomorrow and Wednesday, a vaccination event will be held at Randwick Park School in partnership with the Manurewa Marae, Urban Neighbours of Hope, local businesses, other schools in the area and residents.

Ministry of Health data released last week showed Randwick Park as being a hotspot with comparatively low vaccination rates.

First and second dose vaccination rates in Randwick Park West are 67.4 per cent and 40.2 per cent respectively. First and second dose vaccination rates in Randwick Park East are 78.9 per cent and 56.6 per cent respectively.

Randwick Park is one of several vaccination events being organised in South Auckland, including the "Shot Bro" buses targeted at Māori.

"Māori are coming around to the vaccine", says Associate Minister for Māori Health Peeni Henare.

"I can tell you that for Thursday, Friday, Māori vaccination rates were over 10,000 each of those days, and more than 9,600 Māori got their first dose on Saturday."

Manurewa-Papakura councillor Daniel Newman. Photo / File

Manurewa-Papakura ward councillor Daniel Newman said Randwick Park is a great community, but also a place where overcoming problems is etched into the community's DNA.

"Covid-19 presents a huge challenge and drastic intervention is needed once again," he said.

"There is absolutely no point in celebrating high vaccinations rates anywhere unless there are high vaccination rates everywhere," Newman said.