Wellington, New Zealand — Most New Zealand healthcare professionals and teachers will soon be legally required to be vaccinated with COVID-19, the government announced on Monday.
The new mission forces doctors, pharmacists, community nurses, and many other health care workers to be fully vaccinated by December. Teachers and other educational workers must be fully vaccinated by January.
COVID-19 Minister of Response Chris Hipkins misses the opportunity, especially as he deals with sick patients and toddlers whose vaccines themselves have not yet been approved, although many of these professions have already obtained jabs. Said he couldn’t.
“It’s not an easy decision, but people working in vulnerable communities that haven’t been vaccinated yet need to take this additional step,” Hypkins said.
In New Zealand, many people working at the border are required to be vaccinated.
The first reaction from the group representing the affected workers was in favor of the mission.
“Given the speed at which Delta spreads throughout our country, this is a bold but necessary call,” said Dr. Samantha Merton, President of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that Oakland would remain blocked for at least another week and that Waikato and Northland neighborhoods could break out of the blockade on Thursday if there was no significant spread of the virus. rice field.
Oakland has been blocked for nearly two months since the discovery of the COVID-19 outbreak. Thirty-five new local cases were discovered in the city on Monday, with a total of just over 1,600 cases.
Last week, Ardan admitted that the virus was there to stay in New Zealand and could not be completely wiped out by means such as blockades or contact tracing.
Ardan has urged people to be vaccinated as a step towards the reopening of the country.
This weekend, the government is planning a “Super Saturday” vaccination drive. This is likened to election day, with vaccination centers open all day and evening.
About 68% of New Zealanders have been vaccinated at least once and 47% have been fully vaccinated. Among people over the age of 12, the numbers rise to 82 percent and 57 percent, respectively.
On Monday, the government also announced a pre-purchase agreement for 60,000 courses of experimental new tablets by pharmaceutical company Merck, awaiting approval by New Zealand regulators.
Nick perry
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