New Zealand, Europe Brief News- New Zealand decided to offer free masks and rapid tests as it steps up efforts to tackle a new wave of coronavirus.
Minister for COVID-19 Response Dr Ayesha Verrall noted a “significant” increase in cases of the virus in the past two weeks, with the biggest jump among people aged 65 and above.
“There’s no question the combination of a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations, the worst flu season in recent memory and corresponding staff absences are putting health workers and the whole health system under extreme pressure,” Dr Verrall said in a statement on Thursday.
“Our modelling suggests we’re at the beginning of a second Omicron wave that could be bigger than the first, with the more transmissible BA.5 variant becoming the dominant strain in the community.”
Nearly 70,000 people across New Zealand are currently known to have COVID-19, and 765 patients are currently in hospital with the disease. The country, which has a population of just more than five million, recorded 11,382 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday.
To help curb the spread of the disease, Verrall said the government would make masks and rapid tests available for free, and expand access to antiviral medication for those at greatest risk of severe disease. It will also step up its second booster campaign and encourage people to get their flu vaccine.
