Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown says the district is well prepared to deal with Omicron, as positive cases were confirmed in the community yesterday (Wednesday, 16 February).

“We are 98 per cent double vaccinated and many people are boosted, so for most of us Omicron will be a mild to moderate illness that we can safely recover from at home.

“We have been expecting COVID-19 to arrive in our district and it has. Our health services are well prepared to manage the increase in demand, but we all need to play our part.”

Mayor Brown said people needed to stay home if they were sick and ensure their contacts were notified. They also needed to keep an eye out for vulnerable people in their family or network.

“Older people, and anyone who lives alone or with underlying health conditions and disabilities, needs to be checked on.

The mayor encouraged everyone to make sure they were up to date with their vaccinations and get a booster if they were due. People should also continue to wear masks, practise physical distancing and scan in wherever they go.

He said it was a good idea to make sure prescription medication was up to date, and for people to make their own covid kit at home with over-the-counter medicines for sore throats, a cough and fever.

For more information, visit covid19.govt.nz or for health advice, contact your general practice team or call the COVID-19 Healthline at 0800 358 5453.

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