* Mike Hosking: Elimination strategy was doomed from the startThe Government concedes it has a "big mountain to climb" as it attempts to try and boost vaccination rates in ethnic and hard to reach rural communities where numbers are still lagging. This included sending more buses led by Māori health providers to harder-to-reach communities. Photo / Michael CraigSpeaking to TVNZ, Henare said despite a significant increase in the number of Māori getting vaccinated during this outbreak, vaccination rates among Māori were still relatively low. Henare said a boost in financial support being given to Māori health providers on the ground in Auckland was in response to the pressure being felt by those providers during the current outbreak. Although those Māori health providers specifically targeted Māori, they continued to help people from all communities and backgrounds turning up to get vaccinated or seeking help.

Source: New Zealand Herald September 22, 2021 21:56 UTC