As each day brings fresh news of the concerning situation globally in regards to the coronavirus outbreak, it is understandable that our community should consider what this means.

Three members of a tour group of 19 were assessed at Rotorua Hospital yesterday as public health services were alerted that they may have been exposed to someone with confirmed novel coronavirus infection on a previous flight in to Sydney on 20 January 2020.

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health unit has issued a health warning for the Ashley/Rakahuri River at SH1.

Southern DHB is planning in the event of coronavirus cases in the district.

Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) has been notified of a passenger with measles on two flights between Tonga and Auckland this week.

Health Minister Dr David Clark says he is delighted that PHARMAC has struck a provisional deal to fund Kalydeco - a medicine which is set to improve the quality of life for about 30 New Zealand children and adults with cystic fibrosis.

Years of lobbying appear to have paid off in the fight for funding of a revolutionary drug to treat cystic fibrosis.

PHARMAC has reached a provisional agreement with medicine supplier Vertex to fund ivacaftor (marketed as Kalydeco) for people with cystic fibrosis.

Toxic algae has been found at a number of sites throughout the region and people should pick their swimming and dog walking spots carefully to avoid the risk to health from contact with the algae.

There were some weight loss and health benefits for overweight adults who followed the Mediterranean, Intermittent Fasting and Paleo diets, though adherence to the diets dropped off considerably during the one-year study, new University of Otago research shows.