Tēnā koutou katoa tākuta Māori mā

Your colleagues of Te Urutā, and others of our allies in the fight against COVID 19 have been actively fighting the cause in the Waitangi Tribunal.

Yesterday a Hearing on the Ministry of Health’s COVID 19  response began. Instigated by the NZ Māori Council, WAI 2477 (Te ORA) has an ‘interested party’ status which allows us to give evidence and cross-examine.

The WAI 2477 Te ORA case revolves around 4 clearcut things that the Crown omitted to take regard of that grossly prejudiced Māori COVID 19 outcomes:

• We are a younger, more mobile and socially active community with high essential worker status that dictate that we will be more likely to be in contact with COVID 19 (and should have been protected)

• We are an undervaccinated population and therefore more likely to be infected when exposed and to get sick

• We have an ‘older population who are more unwell’ and therefore more likely to get very ill and/or die

• We have a population who are generally more marginalised from various aspects of care and therefore harder to diagnose, contact trace and treat