The government is considering widening free access to flu vaccines to help the health system which is struggling, not even one month into winter.
GPs in Counties Manukau offered free visits over the weekend - and will do so again this coming long weekend - to try reduce the load on Middlemore's services.
At the other end of the north island, most planned surgeries in the Capital and Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs have also been delayed for four more weeks right off the back of a two week delay.
These DHBs refused interviews with RNZ but the Minister of Health Andrew Little did.
He told Morning Report Covid-19 numbers are higher than authorities anticipated, and the flu season hit earlier.
