Covid 19 coronavirus: what we know about 24 New Zealand deaths: Dr. Joe Williams, former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands leaves a long legacy

New Zealand’s latest Covid-19 death, Dr. Joe Williams, leaves a long legacy of helping the Pasifika community through the healthcare system, and his family plan to continue his loved one’s mission.

Williams, a former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands and a highly respected GP, will be remembered by many.

His nephew, Dr. Kiki Maoate, is one.

Speaking to the Herald today, Maoate said he remembers his uncle 50 years ago stepping up to help bring about change in New Zealand’s healthcare system.

“That was a crucial moment in our relationship, when I was young. He was an inspiration.”

“His closeness and his desire to help people gave him that drive to be good at what he did.”

Maoate said he remembered being in Tahiti for a health ministers conference, and suddenly Williams got Jean Gabilou, one of the most famous Pacific singers from Tahiti, to sit with them.

“The breadth of relationships and friendships that he made – I mean, there’s a famous singer and him chatting at a table, swapping CDs and songs and laughing a lot and remembering that moment among all these health officials, it was very moving at that time.” .

As a tribute to Williams, he said his family planned to pick up where they left off and continue to help benefit the Pacific community through the healthcare system.

“There is a deep loss between us, there is also a deep sense of strength that must emerge as we look, reflect and push the agendas that he has already installed in us, and at the end of the day it comes down to the people.”

Williams, 82, was admitted to hospital after becoming ill when it is believed he may have been in close contact with someone related to the initial Auckland group. His Mt Wellington practice is not far from the Americold Refrigeration Store.

The respected medical professional died last night at Auckland City Hospital.

He becomes the 24th person in New Zealand to die from Covid-19 and the second in less than 24 hours related to the current Auckland group.

An Americold worker in his 50s died at Middlemore Hospital after battling the virus.

The man, a father of four, was the first Covid-19 death in the Auckland group that has infected 152 people.

The Health Ministry today reported three new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand: two in the community linked to the wider Auckland group and one in a traveler returning to a managed isolation facility.

There are two people in the hospital today, one in the North Shore Hospital General Ward and one in the Waikato Hospital ICU.

Here’s what we know about the Covid-19 deaths in New Zealand:

March 29: Anne Guenole, Greymouth

The 73-year-old man who lived a quiet life on the West Coast was New Zealand’s first coronavirus-related death.

Anne Guenole died on March 29, early in the morning. She had been admitted to Gray Base Hospital in Greymouth only days earlier with suspected influenza.

His son-in-law Brett Cummings told The Herald that Guenole suffered from fever and diarrhea but did not have a cough.

The great-grandmother had been offered a ventilator, but after the risks were explained to her, she decided to stay on oxygen.

She was immediately housed in the hospital’s isolation room, with her children, nurses and doctors wearing gloves and masks. But medical staff did not wear eye protection, and as a result, 21 staff members later isolated themselves, as did their family.

Cummings said it was “weird” that a longtime West Coaster caught the virus while leading a quiet life.

Guenole, who lived in Kaiata, on the outskirts of Greymouth, barely traveled and only drove the 5 km from his home to the city, where he parked on the outskirts and entered, he said.

The lockdown restrictions meant that her family could not visit or be with her before she died in hospital.

Hospital staff went out of their way to comfort her before her death, McElnay said.

April 9: Unnamed, Christchurch

A woman in her 90s died. She was one of 20 Rosewood nursing home residents who moved to Burwood Hospital in an effort to stop the spread of the virus and the group’s first related death.

The deputy director of public health, Dr. Caroline McElnay, said the woman, who had recently tested positive for the virus, had underlying health problems.

The lockdown restrictions meant that her family could not visit or be with her before she died in hospital.

April 10: Bernard Pope, Christchurch

He trained some of the best boxers in the country, but it was Covid-19 that wiped out one of the sport’s legends, Bernard Pope.

The 78-year-old was also a resident of Rosewood and was taken to Burwood Hospital where he died on April 10.

Boxing coach Phil Shatford, 63, said it was Pope who taught him everything he knew on the way to the national trainer stage and eventually a Queen’s Service Medal for his services to boxing.

“Bernie was my boxing coach for many years. After that, he was basically like a father to me for many years.”

He had his first boxing match under Pope’s wing at age 13.

The last time she saw Pope was just before the national lockdown.

“Bernie’s been to a few houses. Rosewood was the last he’s been to obviously. I’d go see Bernie a bunch of times. I only went to Rosewood about three times because, oh, it was so sad to see the kind of state guy.” .

After years as a boxing coach, Pope was the glove manager and life member of the Canterbury Boxing Association.

April 10: Chrisanthos (Christo) Tzanoudakis, Wellington

The 87-year-old man, originally from Crete, died at Wellington Public Hospital on April 10.

Tzanoudakis was admitted to the hospital on March 28, after falling ill two days earlier.

He had underlying health problems.

The father of two had lived in Wellington for 50 years and was well known in the Greek community.

Tzanoudakis’ son was the groom at Bluff’s wedding, to which 96 cases of coronavirus are now linked.

One of the founders of the Cretan Association of New Zealand, he served as president for a few years.

Current President Stamatis Nikitopoulos announced the death of Tzanoudakis with “great regret” on Facebook.

“He was a man very loved by all his family and friends and a highly respected member of the Cretan Associations and the Greek Orthodox community in Wellington.”

He said the Tzanoudakis family wanted to mourn for their “loving, caring and warm father and grandfather.”

April 13: Unnamed, Christchurch

The third resident of the Rosewood nursing home to die from the virus was a man in his 80s.
He had been transferred from the home to Burwood Hospital, where he died on April 13.

April 14: the deadliest day of Covid-19

Four people died in New Zealand after becoming infected with Covid-19.

Three men were linked to the Rosewood group: two of them were 80 and one was 90.

The fourth death that day was a resident of a retirement village on the coast of Kāpiti. The man fell ill during four days of self-isolation at his Raumati’s Coastal Villas apartment after a trip to Australia.

April 17: Two people died overnight.

One was in Waikato Hospital, a man in his 90s who was linked to the Matamata group.
The second victim that day was a woman in her 80s who had been a resident of a Rosewood nursing home.

April 19: (no name), Invercargill

Chief Health Officer Ashley Bloomfield announced that a death at Invercargill the previous Tuesday was “confirmed as being related to Covid-19.”

April 21: Unnamed, Auckland

A woman in her 70s who resided at St Margaret’s nursing home in Te Atatū, Auckland, died.

April 22: Unnamed, Christchurch

A woman in her 70s, this time a resident of Rosewood, died.

April 23: Jocelyn Finlayson, Dunedin

The 62-year-old man from Invercargill died of complications from the coronavirus at Dunedin Hospital.

Finlayson was one of the rare cases of community transmission in the country and his family is still not sure where he contracted the virus.

April 23: Unnamed, Christchurch

The second death that day was a man in his 70s who was a resident of Rosewood.

April 24: Unnamed, Christchurch

A man in his 60s was the 10th Covid-19 death linked to the Rosewood group.

April 25: Unnamed, West Auckland

A woman in her 70s died in Waitākere Hospital after being transferred from CHT St Margaret Hospital and Respite.

She was the second resident transferred from St Margaret’s to Waitākere to die and had underlying health problems.

April 27: Unnamed, West Auckland

A woman in her 90s, who was also a resident of St Margaret’s, was the 20th reported death.

May 2: George Hollings, unknown location.

The man in his 80s became the 21st death in New Zealand.

His family described him as a “true Kiwi guy, a diamond in the rough, who loved to stalk deer.”

May 28: Eileen Margaret Hunter, West Auckland

On her death notice she was described as “a beautiful lady with a heart of gold.”