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National | Dr Rawiri Taonui

Silent majority of Māori getting vaccinated - Dr Rawiri Taonui

There were 185 new cases in the Delta outbreak today. This is the third-highest daily total in the outbreak.

The highest three daily totals have come in the last six days (185, 190, 206).

The new total of all cases is 4,998.

Māori cases

  • There were 84 Māori cases today.
  • This is the third-highest total in the Delta outbreak.
  • The highest three totals have come in the last six days (84, 87, 90).
  • Māori remain the highest total Delta cases with 1,893.
  • We will remain the highest number through to the end of the year.

Active cases and home isolation

  • Māori have the highest number of active cases at 1,343.
  • This is 43.4% of all active cases.
  • Active cases translate into higher numbers isolating, with minimal support at home.
  • Today in Auckland, 1,255 active cases are isolating, with 1,580 other whānau in 885 households. We can assume a significant number are Māori.
  • Over the past week, there have been three deaths among those isolating at home. Two were Māori.

Hospitalisations

  • Active cases also translate into hospitalisations.
  • On October 16, 41 Māori had been hospitalised during the outbreak. This was 64 lower than the 105 Pacific peoples hospitalised.
  • Māori hospitalisations have more than doubled since then. They are rising two times faster than for Pacific peoples.
  • As of today, there are 93 Māori hospitalisations compared with 131 for Pacific peoples.
  • At this rate, Māori will constitute the largest number of hospitalisations by the end of this month.

Anti-Vaxxers and Māori vaccinations

There is a strange confluence in protests from white racists, anti-vaxxers, alien conspiracists, Donald Trump supporters who believe he is Julius Caesar reborn, tithe-enriched biblically semi-illiterate self-anointed apostles and some Māori.

Despite these groups' worst efforts, the silent majority of Māori continues to pursue vaccination.

Since September 15, Māori vaccinations have increased by 54.3%, which is more than double for the Pākehā population on 23.4%.

Kia noho haumaru.

Dr Rawiri Taonui.