Our oldest citizens will be some of the first to receive Covid-19 vaccinations, much to the relief of rest homes around the country.
Nothing could've prepared Greenwich Gardens rest home nurse manager Margi Montagu-Fryer for the challenge 2020 brought.
Residents were cut off from loved ones for months.
“Two husbands particularly would stand on the outside of the door looking at their wives on the inside — both ladies are a bit confused and didn't know why their husbands weren't coming in.
“One gentleman in particular stood outside with tears streaming down his face. That was the end for me — that's what what put me over the top and I cried myself to sleep that night," Montagu-Fryer told 1 NEWS.
She hopes the vaccines will stop that from ever happening again.
"It's a Godsend,” Montagu-Fryer says.
The entire general population of New Zealand should be able to get a Covid-19 vaccination from the second half of next year, after the Government purchased two additional vaccines.
Minister of Health Andrew Little said given New Zealand has no community transmission, the first group to be immunised are those most at risk of being exposed to Covid-19.
"This includes the border and MIQ workforce, the Covid-19 frontline healthcare workers, and their household contacts. This will further strengthen our border.
"We’re aiming to start vaccinating this group during the second quarter of 2021, followed by the public, in stages, from the third quarter."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has already confirmed the vaccine would be free for the public.
"Our strategy has been to purchase different types of technology, to ensure if some are found in development or in trials not to be a successful option we will have alternatives available," Ardern said.
"We now have agreements in place with four providers, covering three different types of vaccine technology and we have secured more than enough doses to cover our entire population plus the Pacific.
"This will be New Zealand’s largest immunisation roll out ever," she said.
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