Need to take a COVID-19 test?

Rapid antigen tests (RATs) can be ordered and then collected by:

- people with COVID-19 symptoms or who are a household contact

- critical workers who are household contacts

Health warnings issued for Okawa Bay and Lake Rotoiti in December have now been lifted by the local Medical Officer of Health.

Visual observations and satellite imagery provided by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council confirm that algal blooms in these areas have subsided.

To protect vulnerable patients and staff, local hospitals will continue to screen people for COVID-19 and require the use of masks under the orange traffic-light setting.

The New Zealand Rural General Practice Network (the Network) is appalled that rural communities have been "left in the wilderness" by the Pae Ora Healthy Futures Bill, which was recommended by the Select Committee to Parliament for a second reading today.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says a legal review of the recently proposed Nursing Pay Equity settlement has concluded the proposed settlement is contrary to the Equal Pay Act 1972.

Tāmaki Makaurau’s primary mental health and wellbeing service, ProCare Fresh Minds, is disappointed by the findings of the Consumer NZ mystery shop of insurance companies, with all health insurance policies looked at, including blanket exclusions for mental illness.

Dr Helen Skinner, ECC Incident Controller, Canterbury DHB, is urging people to continue to test themselves for COVID-19 over the weekend if they have symptoms.

A mobile app providing sex, sexuality, relationship, gender, and identity education for young Kiwis, aged 13 to 24, is under development at the University of Canterbury.

There was some impact to cancer services during January and February, according to the latest monitoring report by Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency.

New Zealand’s largest medicinal cannabis company, Helius Therapeutics, has launched an industry collaboration with the University of Canterbury’s Engineering Faculty.