Tamati Coffey Labour List MP

The new Covid-19 protection framework, known for its ease of understanding as the ‘traffic light system', will support us in keeping people safe - especially our vulnerable communities - and minimise the impact Covid-19 has on our day-to-day lives.

If you want to protect yourself, your whānau and your community, getting vaccinated is the only way you can do this.

As a Māori MP, I'm focussed on Māori vaccination rates. At the time of writing this, 69 per cent (393,632) of the eligible Māori population have had at least one dose - of those 48 per cent (276,650) are now fully vaccinated.

I'm proud of our government's recent announcement of a $120m fund to support Māori communities to fast-track vaccination efforts and prepare for the new framework.

We hear the call to make sure we are supporting our hauora Māori who are on the ground every day doing their bit to help, and acknowledge the kaimahi who are at the frontline of this pandemic.

Some $60 million will go towards further supporting our Māori vaccination rates and a further $60 million will support Māori and Iwi-led initiatives to protect our communities.

We here in the Waiariki rohe will benefit from this investment and look to see a marked improvement in uptake for Māori who may be hesitant.

Vaccinations are our armour. They help keep us safe. So my message to those in the Waiariki who have not yet had their first dose, is please get vaccinated.

If you are vaccinated you can be assured that in the new framework, you will get to enjoy the things you love, secure in the knowledge that the people around you, and the environment you are in, is as safe as possible in a Covid world. If you have done the right thing to keep yourself and others safe, to look after one another, you should feel safe.

I have no doubt that we'll do what it takes and move forward safely, together. Kia kaha whānau. There's a light at the end of the tunnel.