Please find below an update on Waikato DHB’s COVID-19 response.

Changes since our last public advisory on Monday 12 October 2021 are provided in red.

Latest update on COVID-19 testing and vaccinations

Today there are two new community cases of COVID-19 in the Waikato. The region has a total of 37 cases.

Location of COVID-19 cases

Note: an additional Hamilton case has been added. This refers to an older case who was in Auckland at the time of detection but who normally resides in Waikato. Public Health management of this case has now been transferred to Waikato DHB and the case will now be included in the Waikato numbers.

The two new cases identified today are members of the same household. Public Health staff are now working to confirm links to other Waikato cases.

New locations of interest in Hamilton and Raglan have been added to the Ministry of Health website: https://www.health.govt.nz/locationsofinterest

Pop-up testing and vaccinations continue to operate in Raglan today with testing at the Raglan Area School and vaccinations now have moved to Raglan rugby grounds car park.

Pop-up testing continues in Hamilton at Claudelands Event Centre and Te Kōhao Health on Wairere Drive, alongside the ongoing community testing centre at Founders Theatre.

Waikato DHB and its provider partners are gearing up for the nationwide Super Saturday vaccination event on 16 October. Details of activities in Waikato will be promoted on the DHB website and Facebook page.

There will be pop-up vaccination sites across the region with prizes, food and other incentives to encourage people to come down and bring their friends and whānau. We are also aware that some people still have questions about being vaccinated, and this is a good opportunity to come along for a no pressure chat with a health professional to get some more information.

Total tests processed in Waikato on Tuesday 12 October: 2980

People can also get tested on appointment at GP practices across the region, including designated GP practices that take enrolled and non-enrolled patients. See Healthpoint for a full list of options.

It is important that our testing facilities are available for those priority individuals who meet the criteria for seeking a test at this time. This allows us to rapidly investigate whether there has been any community spread.

Anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms, is following guidance relating to a location of interest or has been directed by Healthline or a GP should seek a test immediately.

Otherwise, people should call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or their GP for guidance before seeking a test.

It is free to get a COVID-19 test, wherever you go.

COVID-19 testing centres

The availability of community testing centres is based on our assessment of demand and may change daily. Locations for community testing are updated in this advisory, on our website, on Healthpoint and on our Facebook page as soon as they are confirmed for the next day.

Raglan

Raglan Area School, Norrie Ave, Raglan

Wednesday - Sunday, 10am - 1pm

Hamilton

Founders Theatre car park

Entrance off Norton Road

8am - 4.30pm

Claudelands Event Centre

Gate 3, Brooklyn Road

10am - 6pm

Te Kohao Health,

951 Wairere Drive, Hamilton East

Wednesday - 10am - 4pm

GP practices

General practices across the Waikato are testing patients and designated GPs are testing non-patients also. See Healthpoint for a full list of GPs offering COVID-19 testing or call your GP to check. COVID-19 tests are free. Please ring first to make an appointment.

Update on COVID-19 vaccinations in the Waikato DHB region

Reporting on vaccination rates is provided at TLA level. This data is as at 10am, 13 October 2021.

Data at SA2 level (approximately equivalent to suburb) is available on the Ministry of Health website.

Vaccination data

To date (as at 9am 13 October), 492,651 COVID-19 vaccinations have been delivered in the Waikato.

• 285,488 first doses have been administered
• 207,163 second doses have been administered
• On Tuesday 12 October, 7,436 vaccinations were delivered across the Waikato.

Pop-up vaccination sites and vaccination clinics

There are number of pop-up vaccination centres operating across the Waikato this week in North Waikato, Hamilton and surrounds, Waipa, South Waikato and Ruapehu district.

• Mobile vaccination clinics are rolling out across the takiwā with regular visits to locations through to the end of the year. The schedule is on the Waikato DHB website and will be regularly updated with more dates and locations.
• Also visit the Waikato DHB FB page for up to date mobile vaccination clinic locations.
• In Hamilton and elsewhere in the Waikato, you can get your vaccinations at GPs, pharmacies, mobile sites and at our vaccination centres. There's lots of options, so come along and meet the friendly vaccination teams.
• Walk-in appointments are available at many vaccination sites across the Waikato.
• People can now also bus free to and from their vaccination appointment if they show proof of their booking. See busit.co.nz/vaccination for more details.

Reminder - Making a vaccination appointment

Although walk-ins are available at many vaccination sites, the best way of guaranteeing a vaccination on the time, day and place of your choosing is still to book.

• If you have made a booking and are not able to attend your appointment, please cancel your booking so someone else can use that appointment time.
• If you are unsure when your appointment is, check on the booking system at https://app.bookmyvaccine.covid19.health.nz/manage using your contact number or email address and booking reference. Alternatively, you can call 0800 28 29 26 for assistance.
• Everyone aged 12+ can now visit bookmyvaccine.nz to make their bookings.
• We ask everyone when attending their appointments under Alert Level 3 to follow the key public health measures detailed on the Unite Against COVID-19 website.

Update on changes to hospital services

To help protect our patients, staff and community as our Public Health service investigate these cases, Waikato DHB is limiting the number of people at our facilities.

A restricted visitor policy was put in place from Sunday afternoon in response to the two new community cases. The full policy can be viewed on our website.

From 4 October non-urgent face-to-face outpatient appointments, community services and surgeries have been deferred.

Wherever possible we will be shifting appointments to phone and/or telehealth options.

We acknowledge this will cause some inconvenience and appreciate the community’s understanding as we prioritise patient safety at this time. As our investigations progress we will continue to review this approach.

DHB staff will be contacting affected individuals with urgent procedures to confirm their appointments are going ahead or to provide details for telehealth.

Anyone who is not contacted prior to their appointment should please assume it has been deferred and they will be contacted at a later date to reschedule as required.

If people have flu-like symptoms

Do not come into the hospital if you have cold or flu-like symptoms.

If you are concerned about your risk of COVID-19, please ring Healthline (0800 358 5453). They will tell you if you need to be tested and what to do next.

• It is free to get a COVID-19 test
• GPs are able to provide assessment and testing – please phone your practice first
• Please do not turn up to your GP without an appointment
• After hours, you can be seen at an urgent care clinic
• We recommend you take your NHI number with you, which can speed up the timeframe to receive your test results.

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