I was reading a herald article tonight someone posted on another forum about the Black Power taking a lead in Covid protection of their group. I am amazed that someone was forward thinking enough, to allow a Doctor to certificate some Gang members in the taking of Covid swabs. They are also hosting a massive vaccine drive for their members in Manurewa.

I worked a lot with Gangs before I retired, in the health sector (in a normal job, common health role, I am not pro porting to be a Covid expert).

What impresses me most about this scheme, is that we may now for the first time see some of the likely hundreds of invisible cases. The people who through this whole thing, have been spreading it, and were never going to come forward.

By training the Gang, they are empowering them to buy into the Covid response message and as I say, give us a snapshot of what is really happening, in the Methamphetamine underground with Covid and its many drug routes across the country, which people have been using during lock down and therefore spreading the virus.

Also, the open invitation to all Gangs to get involved I hope will be taken up by the hierarchy, unfortunately we are talking a pretty big reservoir for disease with no meaningful public health interface....the kind of perfect storm....that sunk the Delta elimination campaign....eight cases...only eight linked cases....then a woman shows up at Middlemore from what sounds like a domestic violence related story....self discharges....is later found by police at the Gang pad in Takanini....boom....Delta wins....eradication ends.

From there as we all know it spread like wildfire into the homeless and mentally ill population groups....highly mobile...very limited health interface...game over. The tale of a pandemic...one day someone will make the movie.