The Government has announced a new plan that will enable Covid-19 patients to recover at home when New Zealand’s overall vaccination rates improve.
The initiative will see the end of Covid-positive patients being sent to MIQ for a fortnight.
Instead, their suitability will be assessed for recovery at home or local accommodation, such as a motel.
The patients will be supported and monitored by local health officials through phone calls and medical equipment like oxygen monitors.
The new plan was unveiled by top Government health officials on Thursday as Covid case numbers soared to 71.
The move away from compulsory MIQ is a step towards change for the Government and proof it is following measures that have proven successful overseas.
It is also an indication that there is now official acceptance that Covid-19 appears to have taken hold here.
“Covid is in our community and it looks as though it’s here to stay,” General Practice NZ chief Dr Jeff Lowe said in a media briefing on Thursday morning.
“When the case numbers rise to what is predicted, we're not going to be able to send everybody to MIQ so we need to manage it in the community," he said.
Health Minister Andrew Little said that in the future, most Covid cases would recover in the community.
Those most at risk of admission to ICU are the unvaccinated.
The community-based initiative has been a work in progress for DHBs for some time now.
The move to enable recovery at home will relieve pressure on the country’s already stretched hospitals and ICU departments. Although health officials say modelling is variable, it is widely accepted that if Covid cases reach forecasted levels, hospitals would be overwhelmed and unable to cope.
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