St John continues to be there for New Zealanders, and in 2020 responded to nearly half a million medical emergencies with ambulance communications centres answering nearly 97% of the more than 550,000 emergency 111 calls within 15 seconds.

Public consultation on the vaping regulations opened on Monday, seeking feedback from all New Zealanders to ensure the regulations have the right attributes to best support and protect communities.

Mayor Phil Goff is urging Aucklanders to continue scanning with the NZ COVID Tracer app and practising good hand hygiene in light of the new COVID-19 cases that have been detected in the city.

Two people who completed their managed isolation in the same facility and at the same time as the Northland case are now being treated as confirmed COVID-19 infections.

Two other former returnees who completed their managed isolation in the same facility and at the same time as the Northland case are now under investigation.

Canterbury DHB’s Community and Public Health unit has issued a health warning for Rakahuri/Ashley River at Ashley-Loburn Bridge.

Health authorities should develop targeted health messages for vaping product and e-liquid packaging to encourage smokers to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and to prevent non-smokers from taking up vaping, a researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington says.

Canterbury DHB’s Community and Public Health unit has issued a health warning after high levels of faecal bacteria were found in a recent sample taken from Glen Bay, Akaroa.

The Division of Rural Hospital Medicine, part of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, has introduced a new scheme that will help doctors train faster to become Rural Hospital Doctors if they’ve already specialised in emergency medicine, primary care, or internal medicine.

The Ministry of Health is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say and provide feedback on draft regulations under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act through an online consultation that opens today.