Covid-19 testing has started in Kawerau following the confirmation of a positive case in the town.

Testing and vaccinations are available today until 6pm, and again from 10am until 6pm on Monday at the Ron Hardie Recreation Centre carpark in Kawerau.

Kawerau District Council confirms that a Kawerau resident has tested positive for COVID-19.

This is the first case in the current outbreak from Kawerau. The individual concerned was already known to be a close contact of a previously confirmed case, and has been in isolation for the past week.

Vaccination clinics are being held in Kawerau today, Sunday, at Tarawera Park from 11am until 4pm with a River Jump and Jab event and Monday at the Town Hall from 9am until 3pm.

Covid-19 testing is available at the Ron Hardie Recreation Centre carpark in Kawerau. Photo: SunLive.

Bay of Plenty and Lakes region locations of interest

Ten new locations of interest in Bethlehem, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa, Te Puke, Rotorua and Taupo have been announced by the Ministry of Health on Saturday evening and four new locations of interest announced earlier in the day.

The locations of interest list is updated regularly on the Ministry of Health's website.

Bay of Plenty Covid-19 community testing centres open today, Sunday November 28

Accident & Healthcare, 2nd Ave Health Centre, 19 Second Ave, Tauranga - Open today 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Baypark Community-based COVID-19 Testing Station - Open today 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

Poutiri Trust Te Puke Covid-19 Drive-Through Testing - Open today 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Te Puna Ora o Mataatua, 52B King Street, Whakatāne - Open today 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

War Memorial Hall Covid-19 POP-UP testing Centre, Whakatāne - Open today 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Nukuhou Covid-19 POP-UP testing centre, Nukuhou North Settlers Hall - Open today 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Ron Hardie Recreation Center, Kawerau -Open today 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Waitaha Hauora/Nga Kakano Family Health Services, Sikh Temple, 26 No. 3 Road, TePuke - Open today 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Bay of Plenty Covid-19 vaccination sites open today, Sunday November 28

Life Pharmacy, 53 Devonport Rd, Tauranga - Open today 10am - 2pm

Life Pharmacy Bayfair, Bayfair Shopping Centre - Open today 9am - 6pm

Unichem Metro Pharmacy Bethlehem, Bethlehem Town Centre - Open today 10am - 4pm.

Chemist Warehouse Bethlehem, Bethlehem Town Centre - Open today 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Tauranga Central - COVID Vaccination Centre, 87 First Avenue, Tauranga - Open today 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Tauranga Crossing Shopping Centre, 2 Taurikura Drive, Tauranga - Open today 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

My Pharmacy Papamoa Plaza - Open today 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Whakatāne Vaccination Centre, 11 Quay Street, Whakatāne - Open today 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Omicron

With a new, highly-infectious variant of Covid-19 - named Omicron - detected overseas, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says he is confident it has not yet reached New Zealand.

'The Government is taking a precautionary approach in treating South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique as very high-risk countries to reduce the chance of Omicron entering New Zealand,” says Hipkins.

Police are investigating after a woman in the Auckland Jet Park quarantine facility allegedly spat in the face of a soldier delivering her lunch on Friday. The woman had been deemed high-risk due to her gang links.

Acclaimed futurist Jamie Metzl says the human species is well on the path of developing and applying 'god-like” powers to 'read, write and hack the code of life” and the mRNA vaccines are evidence of it.

'[They] are basically injecting instructions to your cells... to do something they weren't naturally designed to do, which is create this foreign object that is the spike protein from the SARS-COV2 virus,” says Hipkins.

'Then your body identifies that foreign intruder that you have produced – you are the manufacturing plant, and that's how you get your immunity.”

Vaccination rates

Ministry of Health data shows 92 per cent of eligible New Zealanders over the age of 12 have had their first dose of the Covid vaccine. Eighty-five per cent have had their second dose.

Among Māori, 81 per cent of those eligible have had their first dose, and 65 per cent their second dose. For Pacific people, the figures are 90 per cent and 80 per cent.

Global toll

Data from Johns Hopkins University shows more than 260 million people have been infected with Sars-CoV-2, and 5.19m have died. Vaccination efforts are continuing with more than 7.5 billion doses administered around the world.

The United States continues to record the most cases and fatalities - 48million cases and 776,385 deaths.

India and Brazil also have some of the highest infection and death counts - 34.5million infections and 467,933 deaths in India, and 22million cases and 613,957 deaths in Brazil.

What should I do?

Anyone who wants to get tested can find their local testing centres by visiting the Ministry of Health website.

Quarantine-free travel from Australia has been suspended.

People should use the Covid-19 tracer app. If you are sick, call your GP before you visit, or Healthline on 0800 358 5453.

To avoid contracting and spreading the virus, wash your hands properly, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow and throw tissues away immediately.

Reach out, find support from people who care, connect with your community or help a neighbour in need.