Author: Press Room

The World Health Organisation warned New Zealand last year about the “alarming” gap in its measles immunisation, saying urgent work was needed to close it.Two WHO medical officers reviewed the Ministry of Health’s measles epidemic preparedness report and noted “with concern” that measles immunisation was at its lowest since 2012.”There are alarming gaps among Māori and Pacific peoples,” their review said.If the gaps were not closed, the country was at risk of a large outbreak, it said.New Zealand officially eliminated measles in 2017 and kept that status, despite the 2019 outbreak, which affected more than 2000 people, because it was…

People on the Taranaki coast are being urged not to collect or eat any shellfish due to the presence of paralytic toxins.New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said routine tests of shellfish in the region showed levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin “over the safe limit”. The warning extended from Cape Egmont north to Albatross Point, near Kawhia.Affected shellfish included mussels, oysters, tuatua, pipi, toheroa, cockles and scallops, as well as pūpū (cat’s eyes), and Cook’s turban.“Please do not gather and eat shellfish from this area because anyone doing so could get sick,” Arbuckle said. “Cooking the shellfish…

Holidaymakers are warned to brace for heavy rain, strong winds and even snow, as a “significant storm” is forecast to sweep across much of the country on Labour Day.MetService predicts a “burst of severe weather” could disrupt plans for the three-day weekend, with watches already in place for severe northwest gales and heavy rain across several regions.”Very active fronts will bring another significant burst of severe weather to the country on Monday,” MetService said, urging people to stay up to date, as further warnings are likely to be issued.Heavy rain for West Coast and Canterbury headwatersA Heavy Rain Watch is…

Former Wellington mayor and Green Party associate conservation spokesperson Celia Wade-Brown has joined calls not to keep possums as pets.Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) this week raised concerns about people keeping possums as pets due to the risk to native birds and plants.Carterton resident Wade-Brown has successfully promoted pest control in the area around her home in Mangatārere Valley and in the broader Wairarapa region.”Since significant possums control in our valley, I have seen real native regeneration including flowering rata, clematis, and scarlet mistletoe,” she said.”Precious places such as Pūkaha deserve protection.”Possums were a serious threat to biodiversity, orchards and…

A cyclist is in critical condition following a collision with a car in Western Bay of Plenty. Police were called to the crash at the intersection of State Highway 29 and Poripori Road at 11am.Hato Hone St John told 1News it responded with one ambulance and one helicopter. Crews assessed and treated one patient who was airlifted to Waikato hospital in a critical condition. The crash has blocked the road, and motorists are advised to take alternative routes where possible.

A South Dakota company is recalling more than 998,000 kilograms of Korean barbecue pork jerky sold at Costco and Sam’s Club stores because the product may be contaminated with pieces of metal, federal health officials said.LSI, Inc, of Alpena, voluntarily pulled the product after customers complained about finding pieces of wiry metal in the jerky, according to the US Agriculture Department. Company officials said the metal came from a conveyor belt used in production. No confirmed injuries have been reported,The recall includes 410-gram and 450-gram plastic pouches of meat jerky labelled “golden Island fire-grilled pork jerky Korean barbecue recipe”. Roughly…

It was just a few seconds of reporting. And it was 30 years ago. But when that reporting has you standing on top of a volcano, with an ash eruption gushing out of the crater behind you, it’s not an experience you forget, writes 1News reporter Simon Mercep.On a Sunday morning in September 1995, my cameraman and I, and helicopter pilot Tony Monk, found ourselves on top of Mount Ruapehu. We’d flown down in Tony’s chopper the night before, just after the volcano erupted.Skiers had been on the slopes, and there’d been a mad scramble to get off the mountain.…

Suspected lightning strikes struck two different water supplies during the wild weather on Thursday.Both Methven’s water supply plant and Greater Greymouth’s water treatment plant were shut down on Thursday.The Ashburton District Council is monitoring the Methven drinking water treatment plant after the suspected lightning strike.Council chief executive Hamish Riach said contractors restored the essential wiring by late Thursday afternoon, and monitored the plant until after midnight as it resumed normal operations.Contractors were back on site on Friday to replace more electrical components, he said.Follow 1News’ live updates here.The shutdown forced the council to issue a conserve water notice to people…

A man has been remanded in custody after being charged with murdering a father and son who died in an Auckland house fire.The bodies of 36-year-old Jung Sup Lee, and his 11-year-old son Ha-il Lee were found inside the Bucklands Beach home three weeks ago.It became a homicide investigation after police said the fire was deliberately lit with an accelerant.Police announced on Friday afternoon they had laid two murder charges after the public’s help.A 38-year-old man, from Sunnyhills in East Auckland, has appeared in Manukau District Court where bail was not sought.He was helped by a translator, and nodded as…

Health officials say there are now eight known cases of measles in the country – and the source of an outbreak was on a Cook Strait Ferry.The latest outbreak follows one that started in Northland last month.The outbreak on the Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry was on a Picton to Wellington sailing from 2pm-5.30pm on October 3.Several of the current cases are connected to the ferry ride but health officials had been worried because they did not know who the original ferry case was.They have now confirmed patient zero was from Northland.Health NZ public health specialist Matthew Reid told RNZ they…