The COVID-19 lockdown means that people are physically isolated at a level never seen before in New Zealand.

The Whakatāne COVID-19 assessment centre will be opening from 9am-4pm daily starting this Thursday (9 April).

The new opening hours mean the Community Based Assessment Centre (CBAC) at the Whakatāne War Memorial Hall will be closing two hours earlier than it had been previously.

Patients at Hawke’s Bay Hospital are being encouraged to stay connected with loved ones during its Covid-19 no-visitor policy restrictions, by using the hospital’s free wifi.

Alex Forsyth, Director of Allied Health Scientific and Technical at the Whanganui District Health Board, says having her three children checked out by the Whanganui Accident and Medical clinic (WAM) over the weekend was a positive experience and much easier than she had anticipated.

The Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) will challenge Parliament’s Health Select Committee tomorrow morning, saying the Government’s vaping bill in its current form runs the risk of protecting Big Tobacco.

A high-security Physical Containment Laboratory (PC3) at the University of Otago’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, is undertaking research to isolate and grow SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, with samples taken from infected individuals.

New cases in Southern

The Ministry of Health announced 17 new COVID-19 cases in the Southern region today, bringing the region’s total to 177. Confirmed and probable cases are combined for this and future totals, to match Ministry case reporting.

Retirement villages are continuing to operate under COVID-19 Level 4 restrictions after being classified as an essential service.

Across the Hutt Valley, community based assessment and swabbing centres (CBACs) are being set up to test for COVID-19. Many general practices are testing people at the medical centre, with some practices using portable cabins alongside their practices.

Orion Health has been working closely with its customers since the beginning of the outbreak to quickly develop and deploy COVID-19 solutions that meet an individual provider’s focus.