Vaccination the key to avoiding future COVID-19 lockdowns

In the wake of the most recent Alert Level 4 lockdown Kāpiti Coast District Mayor K Gurunathan is urging residents to get vaccinated.

“Vaccination will give our community an extra layer of protection against COVID-19 and will help prevent future lockdowns.

“The Delta variant moves fast, and the Auckland and Australian situation has shown us that this virus is not choosy.

“I accept that there is a lot of misinformation out there and people may be anxious, but the evidence is clear - high vaccination rates will help protect our whanau, friends and fellow New Zealanders from the worst effects of COVID-19.”

According to figures released last week from the Capital and Coast District Health Board vaccination rates for Kāpiti (excluding Ōtaki) are sitting at around 64 percent and are among the lowest in the Wellington region.

“This isn’t the time to sit on the fence as the ‘she’ll be right’ approach won’t stop Delta in its tracks,” Mayor Gurunathan says. “We have a vulnerable population, so we need to listen to what the experts are telling us, support each other, and get vaccinated.”

“As a community we need to heed the government’s call and get our vaccination rate above 90 percent as soon as possible.”

Everyone over the age of 12 can now book a vaccine via www.bookmyvaccine.nz or by phoning 0800 28 29 26.