Kāpiti Coast District Mayor K Gurunathan is urging local residents to get their COVID-19 booster immediately and household plans organised following confirmation from MidCentral DHB today that there is a positive case in Ōtaki.

“From the moment the chief executive of the MidCentral DHB called me this morning to notify me of a positive case in our community I have been encouraging all my whanau and friends to get their boosters and to get their household plans organised,” says Mayor Gurunathan.

“Whether we like it or not Omicron is here and we all need to take action now to prepare our households for self-isolation and to minimise the spread of the virus.

“I strongly encourage those who are sitting on the fence about vaccination to get vaccinated, and for those that have had two doses of the vaccine to get their booster if they haven’t already done so.

“Boosters will help us slow down the spread of this virus and ensure hospital beds are free for those that need specialist care the most.

“The message is clear. Get vaccinated, mask, scan and pass when you go out, and get prepared.

“Most importantly, if you are feeling unwell, or have been in a location of interest, stay home and get a test. The friendly Healthline team are happy to take your call and will point you in the direction of your nearest testing station.

“MidCentral DHB have advised that the public health investigation for the confirmed case in Ōtaki is currently underway. The DHB will notify our community of any high-risk locations of interest where people need to self-identify as close contacts.”

Mayor Gurunathan acknowledged that people in the Ōtaki community would be experiencing a range of emotions right now and has called for patience, kindness and understanding.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for all of us over the past two-years and I know people are struggling but we must all remain calm, be kind to each other, and have trust and confidence in the health-led response.

“This isn’t an easy time but we’ve got this far by doing the right thing and looking out for each other as a community. If we all continue to do our bit there’s no reason that we can’t safely ride this next wave of the virus.”

The Mayor said the Council is well-placed to keep essential services running should there be an escalation of positive cases in the Kāpiti Coast community.

“The steps Council staff have been putting in place to keep themselves safe will help minimise the need to ‘close the doors’ should staff be isolating at home.

“Council staff are not immune from Omicron and have families just like everyone else and I commend their efforts to get vaccinated and prepared.”

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