'Don't come if you're not vaccinated' — Whakatū iwi urge holidaymakers to be responsible

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

PM Jacinda Ardern announced that Auckland and some low-vaccinated regions will enter the new Covid-19 Protection Framework at the red setting, with the rest of the country doing so at the orange setting. (First published on November 20, 2021)

If you’re not vaccinated, don’t come. That’s the message from Golden Bay iwi as they prepare for Aotearoa to reopen.

The traffic light system will bring a new level of freedom to vaccinated people across the South Island and some areas in the North Island from 11.59pm on Thursday.

While that means there will be financial relief for businesses, iwi in the Golden Bay catchment are concerned it will bring a new level of risk to their people.

Barney Thomas, chair of Manawhenua ki Mohua, a coalition of Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa, said Golden Bay’s population of 3600 people triples over the festive season.

Barney Thomas, chair of Manawhenua ki Mohua, calls for the unvaccinated to stay away over the holidays.

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With Covid-19 knocking on their doorstep in Nelson, where three cases have been identified, concerns were beginning to mount about the safety of whānau, he said.

“The traffic light process, we’re not sure if that’s going to help us or not.

“We’re very worried because we believe the health and wellbeing of our families, both old and young, are paramount.”

Thomas urged visitors who were considering Golden Bay as their holiday destination to think about the impact they could have on locals.

“It’s hard for us to not manaaki those who come, but we want to make sure our families are kept safe.

“We’re not saying no to visitors, but ensure that you look after our whānau.

“Make sure you’re clear of Covid and make sure you’re vaccinated.”

Golden Bay/Mohua was in the bottom 5 per cent for fully vaccinated suburbs according to figures from the Covid-19 Map, with 67 per cent of its population fully vaccinated.

Wakatū Incorporation chair Paul Morgan says travellers need to be responsible over the holiday period.

More than 20 per cent of those eligible for vaccination had not yet had a first dose.

Ministry of Health figures showed 84 per cent of the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board were fully vaccinated. For Māori, that figure was 66 per cent.

Thomas said Manawhenua ki Mohua would meet next week to create a plan for keeping whānau safe as visitors started to flood in across the summer.

Thomas said iwi hadn’t discussed closing off the bay to travellers, but he knew other iwi were calling for events to be cancelled and travellers to stay away to keep Covid-19 out of their communities.

“It’s not just about our iwi members, but those that live here as well.”

Marae chair Jane du Feu is concerned as the traffic light system arrives.

Wakatū Incorporation chair Paul Morgan said there were hotspots of unvaccinated communities centred around Golden Bay and the surrounding towns.

“We have people exercising their right to choose. [But] the top of the South is about to face that people are coming in of a high risk, and we can expect to get higher levels of infection.”

Campsites get booked up quickly, and Golden Bay had seen viruses spread quickly over the holidays before, Morgan said.

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“We’ve had gastro events in Golden Bay that have basically shut the whole place down.

“My preference is that they don’t come, but they have personal choice.”

However, with Air New Zealand’s vaccination restrictions it might take longer for the virus to reach Golden Bay.

Jane du Feu, chair of Whakatū Marae and Māori health provider Te Piki Oranga, said the Nelson Marlborough DHB had experienced a few close calls with Covid-19 in the area, but with new cases arising in the past few days the community needed to prepare ahead of greater movement under the traffic light system.

“We are concerned, we’re really concerned about the people travelling.

“The focus has always been how do we minimise risk, so certainly we’re going to be looking at ways to do that.”

The marae was in the path for travellers heading to Golden Bay for their holidays, and with more people moving through their community, hui planning was under way, she said.

“In the whole of Whakatū Marae we have six iwi in that space, so we’re in that process of, how are we going to handle this?

“Everyone will have their opinions, and views on what the best way is to protect our people.”

Du Feu said Te Piki Oranga nurses had been working hard to boost the vaccinations rates across the rohe, but when the traffic light system kicks in on Friday, whānau needed to make sure they were doing what they could to protect themselves from the virus.

“We can only be as safe as where we choose to go.”