Dr Colin Tukuitonga who is again working closely with the Ministry Of Health at Alert Level 3 has been doing wide social media callouts for "no mass gatherings, wear masks, wash hands and use strict social distancing." 

Our Pasifika aiga are being encouraged more than ever before to up their levels of caution and prevention against Covid-19 and Dr Tukuitonga emphasises how imperative this is at this time with our communities being hugely vulnerable as confirmed Covid cases rise. 

There are 13 new cases in Aotearoa today - 12 of which are linked to the first cluster.  One patient is in critical condition in ICU and has not had the source of Covid 19 infection identified. 

Meanwhile up to 300 people who attended a Māngere East church on Sunday have been urged to get tested for Covid-19 urgently after a family at the congregation tested positive. Everyone who was at the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa Māngere East Puaseisei on Sunday and anyone who has been in contact with them are being told to get a test as a precaution.…more

A senior Pacific public health specialist says the call for Auckland to return to Level 3 and the rest of the county to Level 2 is essential to control the Covid-19 resurgence, especially for the Pacific community as they are the most vulnerable.

Dr. Colin Tukuitonga, a senior member of the Pasifika Medical Association who is part of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service that consults to the government, says lockdown is the best way to protect the community after four people living in Auckland tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday to become the first cases of community transmission in weeks.

Three adults and one child from the same family had tested positive for Covid-19 with no clear origin for the infection – such as overseas travel or a close connection with someone who had travelled overseas recently.
“We don’t have medicines to cure this disease and we don’t have a vaccine, so social distancing and lockdown is the only public health measure to fight this,” says Dr Tukuitonga.
“Lockdown has proven to be is effective.…more

Samoan/Tuvaluan, Auckland based poet Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh has won the supreme prize at the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.  She won the 'Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award' for her personal picture book, "Mophead"

'Mophead' is the story of what it felt like to be a little girl with big hair and how she grew into it and became our Poet Laureate. It's dedication: “For those who stick out.”

Watch her acceptance speech in the video above where she talks about how she also illustrated the book herself as well.

Here’s a snippet from the press release, covering what the judges said:

Mophead is “clever, joyful and inspiring, with not a smidgen of pretension or condescension”. They went as far as calling the book “perfect” – describing it as a taonga that should be placed in the hands of every child in Aotearoa, especially young Pasifika children who might not yet know their own creative power.

“We love this book’s design and production.…more

11 August 2020 9.30pm

Prime Minister Jacinda Adern and The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield have addressed media tonight in a press conference.

Media were only notified shortly before 9pm.

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There have been four positive cases of Covid-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.  After 102 days without community transmission they are the first cases acquired from an unknown source.

Ardern said we must take a "precautionary" approach as no origin had been found, or link to isolation facilities or people who work at the border.  She reiterated the message of "going hard and going early".

"In line with our precautionary approach we will be asking Aucklanders to take swift action with us."

Auckland moves to level 3 restrictions from 12 noon tomorrow. The restrictions will last three days until midnight Friday.

"These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have wide-spread contact tracing," Ardern said.

Aucklanders are asked to stay home to stop the spread.…more