What to do if you feel unwell
Stay home if you're unwell. Don’t go to work or school. Don’t socialise.
Call Healthline on 0800 35 85 453 for advice if you have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms. This is to check if you fit the criteria and need to get tested for COVID-19.
A sore throat is often one of the earliest and most common indicators of COVID-19. Other symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- a new or worsening cough;
- fever;
- shortness of breath;
- sneezing and a runny nose; or
- a temporary loss of smell.
Some people may present with less typical symptoms such as only: fever, diarrhoea, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), nausea or vomiting, or confusion or irritability.
The virus can be passed onto others before someone knows they have it – from up to two days before symptoms develop.
Request your Rapid Antigen Tests online or by calling 0800 222 478. RATs are free for people with COVID-19 symptoms or who are a household contact or who been instructed to get tested by a healthcare professional.
Get the latest on Canterbury COVID-testing and RAT collection centres (Canterbury DHB).
Get latest advice and information about COVID-19 in New Zealand, including information on testing, mental wellbeing and vaccines.
Welcome to Waka Toa Ora
Waka Toa Ora is a Canterbury DHB-led inter-sectoral collaborative partnership in the Canterbury region. The partnership is based on the WHO Healthy Cities model, and was previously known as Healthy Christchurch.
The key theme of initiative is that all sectors and groups have a role to play in creating a healthy Canterbury, whatever their specific focus (recreation, employment, youth, environmental enhancement, transport, housing or another aspect of health or wellbeing).
This inter-sectoral initiative fosters collaboration between organisations who have signed the Waka Toa Ora Charter.
Read the Waka Toa Ora Charter - updated July 2019.
The new name Waka Toa Ora communicates that we are all in a waka together. We are rowing in the same direction and navigating the many dimensions of wellbeing (physical, social, spiritual, and mental and emotional — hau ora, wai ora, mauri ora, toi ora). We are stronger navigating the regional landscape together.
There are currently over 200 charter signatories to the Waka Toa Ora Charter, including government agencies, businesses, voluntary sector groups, networks and residents’ associations. The organisations involved reflect a diverse focus and cover many aspects of health and wellbeing.
