We would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year holiday season. After the disruption and uncertainty of the COVID-19 Delta outbreak a period of relaxation and catching up with friends and family is important.

It is also important to make sure that risk of spreading COVID is a low as possible. It remains crucial that you have a test if you have any symptoms and avoid going out if sick.

The surgery is closed for the stat holidays, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th December and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th January but open as usual on all other days.

Testing is available in Whakatane at 266 The Strand (Old Wally Sutherland Building) as follows;

25 December 12pm -4pm

26 December – 2 Jan 10am-4pm

3 Jan-28 Feb 9am-7pm

If not yet vaccinated make sure to book in as soon as possible and a reminder that you will be eligible for your booster if your 2nd vaccine dose was 4 months ago. This is important to maximise your protection for when omicron slips across the border. Visit bookmyvaccine.nz to book your appointment

The DHB has advised that they are sending a team to Kawerau to do some pop-up/walk-in vaccination clinics next Wednesday 22^nd and Saturday 25^th September. These clinics are in addition to the regular vaccination clinics at Firmin Lodge. As always you can book a vaccine by phoning 0800 829 001 or going online to www.bookmyvacine.co.nz

These clinics will be located at the Kawerau Town Hall, and vaccinations are available to everyone 12+ from 10am until 3pm.  No bookings needed.

It is crucial that we all play our part to minimise the risk of COVID-19 to our community, especially those who may be more vulnerable than we personally may be. Getting vaccinated is the one way you can do this at an individual level.

If you feel you need to educate yourself more please choose your resources wisely and use reputable, science and evidence based resources such Karawhiua rather than a random opinion on social media.

This week’s confirmation that the Delta variant of COVID-19 was spreading in the community was disappointing but not unexpected. The rapid lockdown was the only safe response and the Tarawera Medical Centre team of staff and patients adjusted rapidly back to level 4 precautions. Today’s update that level 4 will last through until at least next Wednesday for all of New Zealand was predictable. We will be operating under tighter restrictions to those we have been accustomed to for some time.

This means the surgery door is again closed and all possible consultations need to be conducted remotely. This has proceeded remarkably smoothly without the steep learning curve of the 2020 lockdown.

As before we are available to help with any issues but need to do it in a safe way. All initial contact will be by phone so if you would like to discuss a health issue please phone. You will be put on the list for telephone triage by a nurse who will then arrange a doctor call or book a time for assessment if needed. The Delta variant means that most consultations that were previously in our cabin will now be done with patients still in their car where possible. It is crucial that anyone with symptoms gets tested and the testing station at the Ron Hardie Recreation Centre has been a great help with this. This testing station will be open on Saturday 21 August 10am to 4pm. As always COVID-19 testing is free.

Make sure to have your NZ COVID Tracer app up to date so you can use it to scan in when attending essential services including the Tarawera Medical Centre. It is far more efficient than having to fill in paper based registers. The app makes contact tracing much more rapid and with the shorter incubation of the Delta variant this can be essential to limiting chains of transmission.

Repeat prescriptions are now easier to achieve with electronic prescribing. If you let us know which Pharmacy you use we can send the script directly to them without having to print a copy for most medicines. There is no need to panic and order medicines well before they are due, a week or so before you run out is adequate.

Ongoing vaccination is crucial to managing COVID-19. As such the vaccination programme continues even in lockdown with access open now to anyone over 40 and children 12-15 years old of eligible adults who can attend for vaccination with their parents. From next Wednesday 25 August bookings will open for anyone over 30 and on Wednesday 1 September for everyone over 12. Booking in by phoning 0800 829 001 for your vaccine is one thing you can personally do to help manage this pandemic.

As with the last lockdown, PathLab has reduced their cover to Tuesdays and Thursday as fewer patients are being referred for tests during lockdown.