The year 2021 saw the world once again be plagued by the spread of the new coronavirus.
New Zealand, which had been successful in containing the spread of infection from an early stage, was no exception, and the Delta strain of the virus spread in the latter half of last year. Even in such a situation, there was a lot of positive news, with Kiwis (New Zealanders) proudly saying, "I'm glad to be a Kiwi."
Achieving vaccination coverage goals
New Zealand set a goal of vaccinating 90% of its 4.21 million eligible people against the coronavirus, and achieved this on December 16th.Yesterday, it was reported that we had reached our goal, and now it has been officially confirmed that we are 90% there. This is the result of everyone doing their part.
And our respect to everyone who continues to contribute to the expansion of vaccinations.
"This is a major step forward for the COVID-19 response," said Chris Hipkins at the time.
Vaccination in New Zealand began in February 2021. First, a trial vaccination was conducted at the facility where entrants from Auckland are quarantined, followed by workers and medical staff who have contact with entrants at airports, customs, quarantine facilities, etc. Then came the elderly and those who are more likely to become seriously ill if infected.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received her first vaccination on June 18th, and Health Director General Bloomfield received her first vaccination on August 21st (which seems late for important national figures).
In October, a vaccination promotion campaign called the "Super Saturday Vaxathon" was held. Vaxathon is a combination of the words "vaccination" and "marathon."
On the day of the event, there was television broadcasting from vaccination sites, a Zoom event attended by celebrities such as the All Blacks and Academy Award-winning film director Taika Waititi, and events featuring musicians, making it a festive day all over the country.
As of January 4, 2022, the vaccination rate is 92.1%. If you include those who have received only the first dose and have completed the vaccination, the rate is almost 95%.
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Student volunteers in action
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was a group of student volunteers who were working to help people in need.The Student Volunteer Army (SVA) , which mainly operates in the capital Wellington and Christchurch on the South Island, is volunteering to shop for daily necessities at supermarkets for elderly and disabled people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The activity continued in 2021, achieving 3,000 shopping transactions in nearly two years.
Two years ago, I never would have imagined that we would become a "shopping agent" organization.
When unprecedented times cause normal services to fail, we at SVA are here to help our communities and ensure that no one is left behind in a difficult situation.
said co-founder and CEO Sam Johnson.
The lockdown has now been lifted, and New Zealand is trying to revitalize its economy despite the spread of the virus. SVA's shopping services are calming down for now, but as the future is still uncertain, they are prepared to respond to any situation at any time.
Call from middle and high school student leaders
Students all over the world have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes have been moved online, events have been canceled, and interactions with friends have decreased significantly.
Amid this, students in Auckland, who suffered a particularly long lockdown period, stepped up and produced a video to deliver a positive message to students, which became a hot topic.
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Howick High School student council presidents Krish Patel and Hana Milo brought together around 100 student council members from 45 secondary schools across Auckland online to create a five-minute Instagram video.
The video sent encouraging messages to students, such as "Take care of yourself and those around you," "Don't stay indoors, get active and change your mood," "Go outside and take a deep breath," "Don't hesitate to ask for help when you're feeling down," "Enjoy your free time," "Sing Happy Birthday twice while washing your hands," and "Be careful of your sources of information and don't spread fake news."
I believe that through this message of "Let's do our best together!", many students who were unable to go to school due to the lockdown and felt lonely were able to realize that "they are part of a larger group of friends that goes beyond school."
said founder Patel.
The video was viewed 20,000 times within a week of its release.
