The Star: October 07, 2021

The Star Thursday October 7 2021
4
NEWS
• From page 1
“If you look at the experience in
the United Kingdom and the United
States, even in the UK where they
have vaccination rates that are a bit
more than ours, they are certainly
getting plenty of admissions into
hospital,” Maze said.
“Even with really good vaccination
rates, we still have to expect
some people will end up in hospital,”
he said.
“Of course we still haven’t got to
90 per cent, it seems quite a long
way off. There’s still quite a lot of
people to get vaccinated.”
Currently 50 per cent of the
eligible population nationwide is
fully vaccinated.
Vaccination events in Christchurch
this weekend are helping
towards the 90% for Canterbury
campaign – drive in at Christchurch
Arena, or walk in and get
free food at Ngā Hau e Whā
National Marae vaccination clinic
at Wainoni on Saturday.
CDHB executive director facilities
Dr Rob Ojala said in the event
of a significant outbreak in Canterbury,
Parkside Ground Medical
would provide a dedicated space to
treat patients.
He said the CDHB and the
ministry had worked closely and
with urgency to convert the former
Acute Medical Assessment Unit
at Christchurch Hospital into the
ward. The AMAU had relocated to
the new Waipapa building last year.
“The facility will provide additional
capacity to manage affected
patients should that be required,”
Ojala said.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Canterbury aims for 90 per cent vaccination
Part of the upgrade includes
improving ventilation.
Ventilation is being altered so
that air moves from the central
staff area towards the patient bed
areas, making the staff areas safer.
Facilities and engineering manager
Terry Walker said it would
result in improved airflow.
“Two large fans are being installed
outside the ward to extract
large amounts of air from grills at
above the patients’ bed heads, and
pass it through HEPA filters to
safely exhaust to the atmosphere,”
Walker said.
The last time Canterbury DHB
cared for Covid-19 patients was
in January, when two people who
had travelled from overseas were
transferred to the hospital from
MIQ.
It’s worth a shot, say
organisers behind 90% for
Canterbury.
They want 90 per cent of
Cantabrians to have had at
least one vaccination dose
by Labour Weekend.
Research shows two jabs
of the Pfizer vaccine reduces
the chance of catching
Covid-19, and it also helps
prevent hospitalisation and
death in infected people.
Currently 80 per cent
of the eligible population
nationwide have had their
first dose, while 50 per
cent are fully vaccinated.
Only 42 per cent of the
total population is fully
vaccinated.
“It’s a huge job on a tight
time frame, but it’s worth a
shot to keep our city open,
businesses thriving and
vulnerable safe,” said Jo de
Joux of Harvey Cameron.
There is a vaccination
clinic on Saturday at Ngā
Hau e Whā National Marae,
250 Pages Rd, Wainoni,
10am-3pm. Anton
Matthews of Fush and his
team will be on site offering
free food.
And there is a drivein
vaccination centre
at Christchurch Arena,
Addington, open Monday
to Friday 1.30-7.30pm and
Saturday and Sunday 11am-
5pm. There is no need to
book.
Endocrinologist and
physician Dr Nitasha Rimar
said individuals only gained
immunity about two weeks
after the second dose, and
the Pfizer vaccine had only
30 per cent efficacy after
the first dose.
“That leaves more
than half the country
unprotected.”
PREPARED: Workers form concrete bases for two
large fans as part of a Covid-19 ventilation upgrade at
Christchurch Hospital.
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