October 7 2021
There are 29 Covid cases in the community today, including five in Waikato - prompting the current boundary to be extended to the south from 11.59pm tonight.
Rotorua Hospital services could be overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases if not enough people get vaccinated.
A Rotorua Lakes District Health Board spokeswoman said the arrival of the Delta variant in the community was "definitely a possibility".
"As contact between people increases there is increased risk of spread, more so ifpeople do not follow the social distancing and mask-wearing rules."
She said how the hospital would cope with community cases would depend on the rate of vaccination.
"We will be able to cope with a small number of cases even if some become sick enough to need ICU level care, but it is possible to overwhelm our services if there are large numbers of positive cases.
"Given that we know that two doses of the vaccine significantly reduces the risk of serious illness, the best thing our community can do to ensure their hospital and community services are able to cope is to get vaccinated."
Junior chef and mum Marina Kirk-Osman is worried about what the Delta strain could mean for her work and family. Photo / Andrew Warner
The health board was continuing to refine plans for managing cases in the community if they occurred.
"This includes how we manage screening of people coming to the hospital as well as identifying ways to separate Covid positive people from non-Covid patients.
"We also work closely with public health on planning for supporting patients isolating or quarantining in the community.
"We also have plans to enable increased testing and of course, our major strategy is providing enough capacity for all people in our community to get vaccinated as this is the best way to reduce the impact of this virus on our community."
The spokeswoman said the health board supported the need to transition away from the elimination strategy as the Delta variant was proving harder to eliminate with shorter lockdown arrangements.
"We have to recognise that long lockdowns have negative consequences on society even when they are reducing spread of the virus. There are emotional and financial impacts of long lockdowns amongst others and all of those issues have to be factored into decisions about change to the response."
Rotorua resident Marina Kirk-Osman said confirmed Covid cases in parts of Waikato earlier this week were concerning. She just started her new job as junior chef on Monday. She is also mother to a four-year-old girl.
"It's really likely it might come here," she said.
"I'm most definitely worried about how this could affect my job. It's going to be very difficult in the hospitality industry."
Kirk-Osman is also "very worried" about the health of her child who is not old enough to be eligible for vaccination.
"I try my best to keep her healthy but at kindy, there are so many different children in and out. She could pick up anything. She might come home with a little cough or a sneeze and with Covid you don't know what it is."
The Mangakakahi resident said she thought going door-to-door to encourage vaccination would be a great idea.
"I don't think a lot of people are scanning. A lot of people don't have access to phones.
"It would be great if we could maybe have a little ute or bus or something to take nurses to different areas with volunteers from the community who know where people need them."
Te Arawa Covid Response Hub chairman Monty Morrison said the Delta strain was "just around the corner".
"We are nowhere near the vaccination take-up level we need to be at to keep Delta from taking hold and ravaging our community.
"I want all our kuia and koroua, grandfathers and grandmothers to collectively tell their whānau. If you want to come and see me, get vaccinated."
Yesterday, Morrison joined the Prime Minister in visiting vaccination hubs."It was busy with a queue outside so that's good news. Inside I was heartened to see the number of teenagers getting their jab.
"They are real superheroes. Good on them but we need more."
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said the arrival of Delta seemed "inevitable".
"Covid-19 seems to have escaped the noose."
Heard said he didn't think the country, as a whole, was ready for the Delta strain given slow vaccination rates.
"The only thing we can do now is get vaccinated."
Pig and Whistle Historic Pub and Capers Epicurean owner Gregg Brown. Photo / NZME
Pig and Whistle Historic Pub and Capers Epicurean owner Gregg Brown thought "it's only a matter of time" before Delta arrived.
"Another level 3 lockdown may be devastating for some. It might be the final straw for others. But we've got to do the best we can.
"Rotorua has proven resilient. Rotorua will comply with directions like it has always done, as hard as it has been."
Hennessy's Irish Bar owner and Rotorua branch president of Hospitality NZ Reg Hennessy said things were "not looking good."
"Businesses are not ready."
Hennessy said it was "a bit late now" to prepare.
"The gate's been left open."
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick. Photo / NZME
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said getting Covid-19 in Rotorua was not a case of if but when.
"Vaccination is the key tool we have and we need to get more people vaccinated as part of our preparedness."
But Chadwick said Rotorua's Covid-19 response agencies were "well prepared" to lead the community against Delta.
"We are a very well connected community, used to working together to lead and help our residents get through."
