We're now into the 5th week since the World Health Organisation upgraded the Coronavirus to a Pandemic.  We will be updating this page with Pacific Islands updates for our community here in New Zealand and around the Pacific.  To catch up on updates from Week 1 click here , Week 2 click here , Week 3 click here & Week 4 click here 

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FRIDAY 17th APRIL 

NEW ZEALAND - 8 new cases of Covid-19, two confirmed, six probable. New total is 1409. Two more people have died. One in Waikato hospital. And one woman in Burwood hospital.  Total deaths in New Zealand is now 11. Seven of the 11 who have died are from the Rosewood rest home.  816 reported cases have recovered. That's an increase of 46.

14 people are in hospital with Covid-19, three are in ICU. Two of the ICU patients are in a critical condition - that's unchanged from yesterday.…more

Ministry of Health Samoa Update: - 

As of 9:00am 11th April, 2020, there are NO CONFIRMED CASES of COVID-19 in Samoa. We continue to provide care for all patients who need it, and are prepared to provide care for those who may become infected with COVID-19.

At the time of this update, we can report the following:

1)    The 12 outstanding specimens were sent to New Zealand Tuesday evening on an emergency medevac flight

2)    The results of these 12 tests were all NEGATIVE for COVID-19.

3)    To date, all of the 32 samples sent overseas (New Zealand) for testing came back negative

4)    For the past 5 days, no new samples were collected for COVID-19 testing.

MOH will continue to investigate people reporting fever and flu-like symptoms with a history of travel in the past 14 days overseas, and update the public on the status of their COVID-19 testing.

Active surveillance for early detection of COVID-19 cases in Samoa is ongoing.…more

A total of 5166 Covid-19 Support Packageshave been delivered to vulnerable families across New Zealand, providing support to 27,829 individuals. Eighty-two percent of families who received support packages reside in the North Island.

South Auckland based health care provider, Pacific Homecare– a Pasifika Futures and Whānau Ora COVID-19 Support Package Partner – has delivered support packages to over 400 families since the nation went into lockdown.

Whānau OraManager at Pacific Homecare, Rauna Murray-Stowers said himself and his team of eight navigators have received over 700 requests from families in need of a COVID 19 support package.

“For the first couple of weeks wegave grocery vouchers and Covid-19 health information to families, as we haven’t been able to get all the physical supplies we needed. There’s been a lot of demand and not enough supply in the supermarkets. We got grocery supplies this week so we can start assembling packages and delivering these to families next week.

“Our packages include cereal, canned foods, hygiene products, toilet paper, noodles, corn beef...mainly staple foods and essentials.…more

As confirmed numbers of Covid19 cases in Aotearoa start to decline, Pacific case numbers rose to 54 on April 11th, and our Pacific medical communities are worried that not enough Pacific people are being tested and that our high risk communities still aren’t practising lockdown rules. 

Dr Rawiri Taonui expressed his concern on the Waatea news site around Maori and Pacific Covid 19 case numbers and testing data, saying that the current Pacific testing percentage of 7.2% is ‘based on a single primary identity’ meaning that the multi ethnic Pacific population is missing and our communities are being under counted 

Dr Taonui says that the current model of testing data does not count at least 60,000 Pacific people from the 2018 Census and that the Ministry’s reluctance to release DHB data by ethnicity reflects a white risk-management approach to data and information for Māori and Pacific communities. 

“Information is not a privilege.…more

A new website dedicated to providing information for Pacific communities across New Zealand has been launched to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.

PreparePacific.nz  is supported by Counties Manukau Health, Auckland District Health Board, Waitematā District Health Board, Northland District Health Board, Ministry of Health and The Cause Collective.

The aim of the site is to provide up-to-date and relevant information that supports the fight against COVID-19 but in a one-stop shop portal and from Pacific perspectives.

Counties Manukau CE, Fepulea’i Margie Apa says Pacific peoples are faced with a lot of mixed messages about Covid19, and PreparePacific.nz will help them find what they need in one place.

“Our Pacific communities told us they have to look at many different sources to find information which at times is difficult to understand,” says Apa. “We listened to their insights and designed PreparePacific.nz around their needs.”

Features include panels in Pacific Island languages, health messages from Pacific doctors, contacts for family and sexual violence, financial support information and a list of essential services and Pacific providers.…more

It seems the Pacific Community from South Auckland have proved themselves very health conscious, with the testing station in Otara becoming one of the busiest in Auckland since it's opening on Saturday 4th of April. 

On its first day of operation, the site had the largest number of people tested in Auckland, with about 80 tests, says the chief executive of South Seas Healthcare, Lemalu Silao Vaisola-Sefo. Based at the Otara Shopping Centre carpark, Otara has averaged around 100 tests per day.

Lemalu, who is a member of the Pasifika Medical Association, says the high numbers show the demand within the Pasifika community to get tested. He says accessibility is now less of a barrier, with additional stations in South Auckland located in Takanini and Mangere.

“For a lot of our Pasifika families, it’s about having peace of mind and making sure they are keeping their families safe. So it’s important that we are here,” he says.…more

More than a year on from his horrific Covid experience, Geoff Muliaga has this heartfelt message for our Pasifika people

"Talofa lava, Last year changed my perspective on this COVID-19, so be responsible don't ignore the signs. Get vaccinated, build a wall so you are able to fight this virus and it's capability. Protect yourself, well being, on-going health and aiga.…more