23 Nov 2021

Tūhoe iwi institutes own quarantine system

From Morning Report, 8:35 am on 23 November 2021

Te Urewera has been closed to visitors since the move to Covid-19 alert level 4 in August, but unlike Auckland, it won't be opening back up to the public until late January.

The region is home to Tūhoe and includes some of Aotearoa's most remote, and most vulnerable communities.

Reliable vaccine uptake data is scarce, but tribal leaders estimate that just 40 percent of the eligible Te Urewera population have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

With the nearest hospital a two-hour drive away, the Tūhoe iwi authority has invested in a system of quarantine that runs like MIQ. 

Te Urewera Board and Tūhoe Tribal Authority chair Tāmati Kruger spoke to Susie Ferguson.