WAIKATO DHB CHANGE DAILY REPORTING FOR COVID-19
Written by John Grant on March 9, 2022
In a Facebook post issued yesterday, Waikato DHB have said that they are no longer able to provide a detailed breakdown on cases by towns/cities as detailed location data is no longer available for every case. They have said the shift to Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT’s) is the cause of this change.
They will instead report on a local council or TLA (Territorial Local Authority) level. The changes has not been received well by many who have made comments along the lines of this one from Pam Uttinger saying “this is no help to those of us in small towns. I’ve been watching the daily case numbers locally. Once cases in our town get too high I will need to stop my volunteer work to reduce the chances of passing covid onto the medically vulnerable people I work with”, and this from Jaimee Taylor “Not impressed with this new format. Go back to the old way. Everyone wants to know how many cases their towns have!”.
The dozens of similar comments prompted a response from Waikato DHB acknowledging the change wasn’t popular.
The numbers at town levels have been hard to follow and have moved significantly from day to day making it hard to reconcile but for many it gave some idea of the level of Covd-19 cases in their local area.
In yesterdays post the Waikato DHB also had some general information as follows;
There are 2164 new cases reported in the Waikato today. The total number of cases in this Waikato outbreak as shown below is now 22,784 (16,631 active and 6153 recovered).
There were 915 vaccinations given in Waikato yesterday.
There are 70 COVID-19 positive individuals receiving care at Waikato DHB hospitals – this is a mix of patients who are receiving care for COVID-19 and those receiving care for an unrelated condition who have also tested positive.
Note: Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence.
???? NEED A TEST?
People should only get tested if they have cold or flu symptoms, live with someone who has COVID-19 and need a day 3 or day 10 test, or have been asked to get tested by a health official. The most common early symptoms of Omicron are a sore or scratchy throat, and a runny nose.
Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are now the primary form of testing in the community. You can pick up a test at our community testing and RATs collection centres. Some sites are offering supervised RAT tests.
Free RAT testing kits can be ordered at https://requestrats.covid19.health.nz or call 0800 222 478 option 3. To request via the website, you will need to have access to a mobile phone to validate the order. RATs can be requested on behalf of someone else.
To find a RAT collection site visit www.waikatodhb.health.nz/cbac or check out the pinned post on our facebook page.
???? Report your RAT results
You should report the results of your rapid antigen test (RAT) if you test positive or negative:
– Online using My Covid Record https://mycovidrecord.health.nz
– Call 0800 222 478 and choose option 3 (use this option if you are reporting a RAT result for tamariki under 12)
If you test postive, you will need to isolate for at least 10 days while you recover. Everyone else who lives with you (on a permanent or part-time basis) is a household contact and they will need to self-isolate and get tested.
For more information visit: covid19.govt.nz/positive
???? Managing your symptoms with COVID-19
Most people who get COVID-19 will have mild to moderate symptoms, similar to other common viruses. The majority of people will be able to manage their symptoms at home while isolating with rest, fluids and paracetamol.
You don’t need to call your GP to let them know you have had a positive test result.
For advice on how to manage your symptoms call Healthline on 0800 358 5433. If you need a clinical appointment contact your GP/primary care team.
If you have difficulty breathing or feel faint or dizzy at any stage, call 111 immediately. Tell them you have COVID-19 when you ring. There is no cost to call an ambulance when you have COVID-19.
Welfare and manaaki support is available through our Waikato DHB COVID-19 Integrated Coordination Centre on 0800 220 250, 8am-8pm seven days a week. Our team will guide you through the next steps.
Also, you can ask for welfare and manaaki support at Here to help u www.heretohelpu.nz
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Elizabeth Anne Stewart Ball On March 11, 2022 at 11:56 am
The new method of reporting is of no use at all. For those who are medically vulnerable and those who work with this group – paid and volunteer need to have more accurate figures for management of health purposes. eg for those medically impaired who need to travel to a pathlab – what precautions, what protection – is it better to travel to a pathlab in a town