Coco News

Tale of Two Cities: Pasifika speak out about the NZ government's roadmap out of lockdown

Cover image photo credit: Stuff

As todays 4pm press conference came to a close, there were many reactions from Pasifika people ranging from confusion, to worry, and some tentative optimism as our community unravels the various new Auckland level conditions.

The plan has seen an avalanche of social media reaction and has also brought many concerns to the fore around the inequities that have long been identified for Auckland's under vaxed brown Covid population. There are increasing feelings around an Auckland city divide, where the circumstances for the vulnerable brown sit in stark contrast to that of the picnic going palagi nuclear households.

Social media lit up with a raft of comments, people venting their confusion and worries for the Pasifika communities and struggling to comprehend how these eased restrictions even apply to anyone in their communities.

I would like to know how the public health advice accounted for the impact on Māori and pacific populations and people with lived experience of disability because this “have a picnic a play date and a beer” narrative gives me a picture and I hope I’m wrong. https://t.co/IGgYJsc3Xp
— gabrielle baker (@gbaker) October 4, 2021

I get it so while they can have drinkies on the driveway in Parnell Māori and Pasifika kids are now the most vulnerable to Delta. Ok cool.
— Toa Fraser (@toafraser) October 4, 2021

“elimination was important because we didn’t have vaccines - but now we do” oh and and we have ensured that brown NZers are the last to access them so now we can blame them for not taking personal responsibility despite our production of structural barriers that created this mess
— A TePungaSomerville (@alice_tps) October 4, 2021

The three-step government ‘roadmap’ for Auckland's continuing Alert Level 3 status has been rolled out as follows:

Auckland Roadmap - Tiles c/- Radio New Zealand

Beyond the social media backlash, a synchronized political outcry from unlikely bedfellows ACT, National and The Green Party have all lamented the governments plans, enforcing a widely expressed concern as to how much more vulnerable the new Level 3 freedoms make Maori and Pasifika who have low vaccination rates at this crucial stage of the elimination strategy, with only 31% of Maori and 44% of Pasifika being fully vaccinated.

A sentiment shared by Dr. Heidi Muller; “The rates of vaccinations for Pacific and more so Maori are lagging mainstream and it's only going to worsen inequalities given we are relaxing restrictions whilst the Covid numbers are still in our community, mainly South Auckland”.

Solo mother and Academic, Emmaline Pickering-Martin is worried for her children's wellbeing.

"Having an immunocompromised child this annnoucement makes me nervous. Not only because I know the rates of Maori and Pasifika vaccination in certain age groups are super low. Also, because we have seen priviledged people not follow the rules already so this just opens the gates to even further risk of people not following the rules.

It's hard for people to understand their health privilege if they don't have to live in this fear that one of their babies may die unnecessarily"

However, it’s not just the easing of level 3 restrictions that have sparked the ire of Pasifika people. The language used during the announcement has highlighted the inequities of the Pasifika and palagi populations of Auckland. Sailing a yacht and playing bowls in combined households of up to 10 people are activities seen as being far removed from the reality of Pasifika peoples where 10 people may be the norm for one household as Taylah Tomokino-Johnson tweets:

There are households in my neighbourhood who have more than 10 ppl in their immediate family. How on earth is this “group of 10 outside” going to be policed without people calling cops about a large family. Or vice versa - ppl lying about having more than 10 in their bubble 🤦🏽‍♀️
— Taylah Johnson (@taylahtomokino) October 4, 2021

For many Pasifika in overcrowded housing, struggling to pay bills and manage children at home while working, the announcement made the inequities in the Auckland covid cultural divide come to the fore and Emmaline Pickering is infuriated.

"Truly!!! People don’t know how hard it is to truly keep a bubble tight esp with whānau who are most at risk. Like we don’t even go to countdown we have it dropped off and sanitise before it’s in the house … there’s levels to the way people see the rules and follow them too.

Like if Xavier (6) gets sick, then what happens with my 2 other kids and both my contracts that I work and my students and my pregnant fam and my Dad who lives away from us and alone and is 71 like … all of this is so infuriating aye?" - Emmaline Pickering-Martin

However, a vote of confidence in the plan comes from lead Pasifika Medical professional Dr Colin Tukuitonga, who says the integrity of Level 3 is still in place and it can still be effective in preventing transmission for Pasifika people.

"The governments Auckland plan re-emphasises how important it is for our communities to get vaccinated more than ever. The effectiveness of Level 3 is still there but now it's more important than ever to get ourselves protected. I'm so encouraged by the Samoan youth vaccination numbers over the weekend - this is so inspiring for our people and what we can do."

Whilst for others in the Pasifika community, today’s announcement highlighted how far removed the government may be from the realities of everyday Pasifika people living in South Auckland, for Dr. Tukuitonga the government's changes now emphasize the importance of getting vaccinated.

"Now that the schools look like they potentially could open again on the 18th. I want to stress the importance of vaccinating our young people, this is going to be another risky situation we need to have on our radar “

Only time will tell what path the government's new roadmap will lead us down, but in the meantime you can use this interactive map below to find your nearest vaccination centre.

Click here for Covid-19 information translations in all Pasifika languages

Click this link here for an interactive map on where to find a vaccination clinic near you https://karawhiua.nz/all-clinics/