Te Arawa COVID-19 Response Hub’s latest initiative is supporting the COVID contact tracing card trial.
The story was picked up by national news outlets, including Stuff.
The Hub was established in March 2020 to keep Te Arawa whānau and the community safe. It has continued to be a valuable platform to seek accurate information. The Hub also provides support through their Workforce Hub, helping people seek mahi, develop new skills or access benefit entitlements.
Te Arawa recognised that co-designing the COVID contact tracing card trial in Ngongotahā was another way to contribute to vulnerable communities and wider Aotearoa.
The trial was deemed an overall success. 1250 volunteers signed up to wear the Bluetooth-enabled card for the week-long trial.
Ultimately, the trial was about testing whether a contact tracing card could support our wider effort to stamp out COVID-19.
Community Whānau Day
A Whānau Day in Ngongotahā was hosted by the co-design partners (Te Arawa, Ministry of Health and the Universities of Otago and Waikato) to inform the community and encourage volunteers.
Health providers and local organisations jumped at the chance to come together and promote their services. This included free dental checks and flu vaccines.
Rangatahi had a blast on the bouncy castle and having their faces painted. Families were also given free train ride tickets for the Ngongotahā Railway Park. However, the longest line was for the ice cream truck, made up of mostly adults!
The Ngongotahā field trial is now complete. Research will be undertaken as to whether the contact tracing card can enhance Aotearoa’s contact tracing technologies.
We’ll continue to work with Te Arawa COVID-19 Response Hub, and will post updates in our Client News.