Waikato's rolling out the red carpet this weekend to try raise Maori vaccination rates

About 20 vaccine sites, including pop-ups and drive-thrus, will be operating with extended hours today and tomorrow.

Currently, 82 percent of Waikato's eligible population is fully vaccinated but only 79 percent of Maori have their first dose.

There will be music, food and prizes at several sites in a bid by the District Health Board to pull in those without a jab.

Waikato-Tainui chair Linda Te Aho says there are sites right across the region at marae, shopping malls and health centres.

She says a lot of whanau live rurally - and it's not as easy for them to come in to vaccination centres.

Of the 173 new community cases yesterday, 15 were in Waikato.