The PACMAT Niue team have been training frontline and healthcare staff as well as offering practical advice around Covid-19 response processes and procedures. 

“The team have been running a series of trainings, one of these being for frontline staff at the airport including health staff, immigration staff, police and the freight workers.

We have held four training sessions around IPC [Infection, Prevention and Control measures] to ensure everyone here is able to deliver that in the most appropriate way while also keeping themselves safe.

The team has also held RAT (Rapid Antigen Testing) training sessions for frontline staff and have been able to help around 20 volunteer staff, including student nurses, on how to conduct a PCR swab”, says team lead and technical advisor for PACMAT Niue, Mr Renee Mose. 

The PACMAT Niue team have also run training sessions with teachers in Niue around reassurance and how to keep students and themselves safe while at school.

With Niue’s first reported positive case of Covid-19 last week at the border, the PACMAT Niue team were instrumental with immediate containment and management. 

“Our team of nurses helped with conducting the swabs for close contacts for their day 3, day 7 and day 9 test. 

We’ve been able to review some of the protocols and identify where the gaps are. A big piece of our work is developing what their Case and Contact Management SOP [Standard Operating Procedures] look like” says Mr Mose. 

He explains that it is an opportunity to help improve Niue’s processes around managing a positive case. This includes processes around MIQ, contact tracing, home isolation and welfare support. 

Mr Mose advises that the time in Niue has been both purposeful and rewarding with the exchange of knowledge benefitting Niue’s national Covid-19 response. 

“We’re so grateful for the opportunity and really thankful that the Niue Health Department has been so hospitable and open to hearing about our learnings from New Zealand.”

The PACMAT Niue team arrive back in New Zealand tomorrow after a three-week long deployment. 

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Date: Monday 21 March 2022