No new cases, vaccination centres shift to allow more boosters
Case Update
- New cases – 0
- Active cases – 20
- Recovered cases – 1
Dr Stephen Bridgman, Medical Officer of Health said, “I am very humbled by the collective Nelson Marlborough response which has allowed us to slow down the spread of Omicron in our community during this “stamp it out” phase.
"4,030 tests (3376 in Nelson Tasman, 654 in Marlborough) have occurred since cases were first announced on Friday 21 January. Our cases have been working in partnership with the Public Health team to identify exposure events. These are acted on quickly and where individuals are unable to be identified directly, are listed as locations of interest on the Ministry of Health website. Close contacts have been committed to quarantining and testing, meaning further exposure events are limited.
"With these public health measures in place we are not seeing a rapid escalation of Omicron in the community. And while there is no evidence so far of widespread undetected cases, ongoing testing of people with symptoms is going to be key to maintaining this confidence during this “stamp it out” phase.
"These public health measures, alongside mask-wearing and scanning-in, have provided us with the gift of time. Time to allow more people to become vaccinated and boosted, lowering the number of people who will become seriously ill or hospitalised as a result of Omicron.
"So far all of our Nelson Tasman cases have been able to be managed in the community without the need for hospital level care for their COVID-19 illness. For those over the age of 18, vaccination with a booster makes a huge difference to the chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised.
"Yesterday the government announced the decision to shift the booster vaccination from 4 months to 3 months. This means around 20,000 additional people in Nelson Marlborough will now have the opportunity to benefit from increased protection against Omicron."
Nelson Marlborough Health chief executive Lexie O’Shea is encouraged by the number of eligible people using this time to become boosted.
“Vaccination not only lowers the chances of individuals becoming seriously ill and requiring hospitalisation, it also helps to slow the spread the virus. High level of vaccination in our community is important for protecting our hospital and health services, ensuring they are able to continue to deliver on health needs during the Omicron surge.
"Last week the vaccination teams across Nelson Marlborough were able to deliver over 11,000 booster doses. With the changes from 4 months to 3 months, the number of people eligible now increases.
"To meet this increase in demand the following vaccination centres will temporarily shift to larger venues, full details are available on the Healthpoint website:
- Nelson Vaccination Centre on Pau Paru Road will shift to the Trafalgar Centre from Friday 4 until Friday 18 February
- Blenheim Vaccination Centre on Henry Street will shift to Stadium 2000 from Friday 4 until Saturday 19 February.
"Thank you for taking this opportunity to receive your booster, protecting yourself, your whānau and your health services.”
Additional vaccination data for the enrolled population
Nelson Marlborough:
- Yesterday, 4 months – 70, 010 eligible | 55, 739 received | 14,273 remaining
- Today, 3 months – 90, 777 eligible for booster | 55, 739 received | 35, 014 remaining
For Marlborough PHO enrolled:
- Yesterday, 4 months – 21,054 eligible | 17,254 received | 3, 802 remaining
- Today, 3 months – 28,064 eligible for booster | 17,254 received | 10,804 remaining
Nelson Tasman enrolled:
- Yesterday, 4 months – 48,956 eligible | 38,485 received | 10,471 remaining
- Today, 3 months – 62,713 eligible for booster | 38,485 received | 24,210 remaining
Locations of interest
Nelson Tasman residents and visitors are asked to monitor Ministry of Health’s locations of interest page, and follow the instructions given on that page if you’ve been at a location of interest. There is a list on this page and also a map for quick-reference: COVID-19: Contact tracing locations of interest | Ministry of Health NZ
Marlborough residents and visitors should monitor this page also if they have travelled to the Nelson Tasman region in the past 14 days.
When and where to get tested
We ask anyone with symptoms – no matter how mild – to please get tested, even if they are vaccinated. Read about symptoms to be alert to on the Ministry of Health website: About COVID-19 symptoms and spread | Ministry of Health NZ COVID-19.
COVID-19 testing locations
CBAC hours will be kept up-to-date on the Healthpoint website: Nelson Marlborough COVID-19 CBACs | HealthPoint
All locations and hours available on the Healthpoint website including by appointment opportunities at medical centres (GP), please phone ahead first: COVID-19 Testing | Nelson Marlborough | HealthPoint
Vaccination advice
People living in Marlborough, Nelson, and Tasman are reminded to get vaccinated if they have not already. Everyone aged 5 years and over is eligible for free COVID-19 vaccination. Booster doses are also now available to anyone aged 18+ who had their second dose 3 month ago.
Vaccination clinic locations across the region are listed on Healthpoint here.