health
Categories under health
- covid-19 (322)
- long covid (11)
- vaccines (11)
Ardern Needs to do More Than Manage Crisis
Written By: - Date published: 2:23 pm, August 25th, 2021 - 24 comments
For a country that has sought to form advantage for itself with strong and hard COVID-19 lockdowns, we’re not gaining any more advantage than yet another binge-purge cycle of supply tension and shortages, rapid economic downturn softened by tens of billions of subsidy, followed by unsustainable booms, over and over again.
The mysterious socialist hermit kingdom
Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, August 25th, 2021 - 111 comments
Various commentators including Nigel Farage have claimed that New Zealand’s Covid elimination strategy is a failure. Our death rate and the possibility that we can again return to a normality that other nations can only aspire to suggests they are wrong.
China reports zero local symptomatic Covid-19 cases for first time in weeks
Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, August 24th, 2021 - 55 comments
You probably won’t see this in our local media, as our pundits today debate whether it is time to ditch our elimination strategy and Australia gives up on it. China is also well ahead on ensuring its vast population is vaccinated as well.
Matt King caught blowing anti vaccination dog whistle
Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, August 23rd, 2021 - 22 comments
Former National MP Matt King has been publicly posting anti vaccination propaganda under the ruse of only wanting a conversation.
The importance of Jacinda’s 1 pm press conferences
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, August 22nd, 2021 - 130 comments
Jacinda Ardern has resumed the 1 pm briefings where she communicates effectively the country’s current situation and what the plan is. But National and some elements of the media are complaining, presumably that she is doing too good a job.
The Covid vaccine may not be the nirvana
Written By: - Date published: 12:47 pm, August 21st, 2021 - 151 comments
Claims that a comprehensive vaccination scheme will allow life to get back to normal ignores the experience of Israel, which despite having a large proportion of its population vaccinated is having a surge of new infections of Covid that is stretching its health system.
The antidote page for all those chickens
Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, August 19th, 2021 - 32 comments
This is the page that I read at least once a week. With a clean brevity it gives me almost all of the strategic summary information about the progress of the vaccinations in NZ. Even it’s title is clean and clear. COVID-19: Vaccine data. But I’m trained in operations and rather more interested in reality rather than the average untrained pundit or politician who run around like a Chicken Little saying the equivalent of “the sky is falling” every other week. Thankfully they were ignored.
A little bit of understanding can go a long way …
Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, August 19th, 2021 - 18 comments
Our online Persona is not us, but just a mask.
Here again, but Delta gives less latitude. So give less latitude.
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, August 18th, 2021 - 31 comments
We’re back in a Covid-19 lock down. Until we get to a very high level of vaccinations >80-90%, something that no state has yet achieved, this is our only realistic defence against outbreaks. Delta is way more infectious than previous variants. It infects the vaccinated to act as spreaders. Don’t know about anyone else. But this time I intend to exert my right to give less social latitude to idiots.
The importance of political leadership in dealing with Covid
Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, August 18th, 2021 - 66 comments
Political leadership in the time of Covid is important. As the Government urgently swung into action and imposed a level 4 lockdown after news of a community case of Delta Covid who lived in Auckland and had spent time in Coromandel while infectious, Thames-Coromandel District Mayor and former National MP Sandra Goudie admitted to not scanning regularly.
Covid-19 and the risk-based border plan
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, August 12th, 2021 - 93 comments
Details on the government’s plan for New Zealand’s borders, and the Delta variant of Covid.
Youtube punishes Murdoch’s Sky News for pedalling Covid misinformation
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, August 3rd, 2021 - 38 comments
This will have the conspiracy theorists spinning. Youtube have stopped Murdoch’s Sky News Australia from uploading videos for the next seven days after the channel uploaded videos questioning Covid and advocating for the use of alternative medicines including Donald Trump’s favourite hydroxychloroquine
The latest Reid Research Poll result
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, August 2nd, 2021 - 134 comments
Last night’s Reid Research poll result suggests that the electorate is reverting back to a more conventional dynamic after the stratospheric heights that Labour enjoyed immediately post Covid elimination.
Nurses refuse pay offer
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 30th, 2021 - 28 comments
NZNO members who work in district health boards (DHBs) have voted by clear majority to reject the latest offer in their negotiations with the DHBs, saying it fails to address the chronic and systemic safe staffing issues in a way that would ensure and protect the future of the health system.
Letting private enterprise handle Covid quarantine is a really stupid idea
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, July 27th, 2021 - 31 comments
Leader of the Opposition David Seymour has proposed that private enterprise should provide quarantine services. The recent experience of Melbourne where private security firms failed dramatically to properly managed quarantine facilities suggests that this is a really stupid idea.
The many and varied takes of Des Gorman on covid
Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, July 25th, 2021 - 32 comments
A review of Des Gorman’s comments about Covid over the last 15 months, pretty well all of which have been negative, makes you wonder how it is possible that we have been able to maintain an effective Covid free status in Aotearoa New Zealand.
What If Boris Is Right?
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, July 24th, 2021 - 80 comments
Now that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has “opened up” the United Kingdom from many of the Covid19 strictures that it had undergone, there is a lot at stake to his reputation and indeed to the lives and livelihoods of its citizens.
The bubble pops
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, July 24th, 2021 - 32 comments
The appearance of community spread Delta variant Covid in Australia has caused New Zealand to suspend the trans Tasman travel bubble.
Freedom day
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, July 19th, 2021 - 58 comments
As infection rates of Covid in the United Kingdom surge Boris Johnson has announced that today will be the UK’s Freedom day and will be removing pretty well all mandatory Covid restrictions, even the wearing of masks and social distancing.
Minister Robertson’s Economic Development Strategy
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, July 15th, 2021 - 20 comments
Minister Roberston’s recent speech to the Trans Tasman Business Circle sets out both how this government is using the pandemic to reset whole sectors of the economy, and also how it is getting its head around economic and social challenges. The points made were unsurprising, but his intended direction was unclear.
The Covid Crisis – the perils of half hearted responses
Written By: - Date published: 4:59 pm, July 11th, 2021 - 40 comments
The New South Wales’ half hearted response to community outbreak has seen infected numbers increase while in the UK Boris Johnson is planning to remove all restrictions something top scientists describe as “dangerous and premature”.
The Pausing of the Travel Bubble
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, June 28th, 2021 - 81 comments
So far there have been no discovered cases of community spread of the Covid delta variant in Wellington following the recent visit by an Australian tourist who was infected with the variant. Meanwhile in Australia the authorities are trying to stamp out community flareups that are appearing in different parts of the country.
Cummings: Boris is unfit for the job
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, May 27th, 2021 - 20 comments
Former top aide Dominic Cummings has accused UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson of being unfit for the job, and of making constant U-turns, “like a shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other”.
Chris Bishop is tilting at Covid windmills
Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, May 26th, 2021 - 32 comments
Right now, in terms of our Covid response, New Zealand is in a unique position. It has no community spread of Covid and its level of restrictions is the most permissive in the world. But this does not stop Chris Bishop from trying to double guess the handling of the pandemic.
Budget 2021
Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, May 20th, 2021 - 71 comments
Headline change, budget is lifting weekly main benefit rates by between $32 and $55 per adult to tackle inequality and child poverty, as well as reinstating the Training Incentive Allowance.
Will we rebuild better?
Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, May 17th, 2021 - 36 comments
There’s a question Covid19 allows us to ask that we haven’t been able to ask since the end of World War 2: can we all just co-operate to get along – as a species?
How Covid may work out from here
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, May 15th, 2021 - 68 comments
The world may never get back to a pre covid state. Until herd immunity is achieved throughout large swathes of the world as well as in Aotearoa New Zealand our borders need to continue to be closely monitored. The anti vaccination movement and the failure to ensure equitable vaccine distribution may mean that our current messy dread filled reality will continue.
Too much too far?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 23rd, 2021 - 97 comments
As we lead up to Budget 2021, there’s much more shape to the whole direction of this government.
National’s very bad day
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, April 22nd, 2021 - 86 comments
Yesterday was a day where National focussed on dog whistle racism, supported religious extremists and moaned about workers receiving a modest increase in the minimum wage.
DHBs to go
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, April 21st, 2021 - 101 comments
Television New Zealand has reported that Andrew Little is to announce that district health boards are to go
Oh Canada! – let us not follow you.
Written By: - Date published: 3:19 pm, April 17th, 2021 - 23 comments
Looking at the vaccination program in NZ, I feel that many people are focusing on the wrong things. The most dangerous period in pandemic life cycle – gaining a sufficient population immunity fast enough to stop the inevitable complacency that allows another wave of infections. Ontario appears to have managed to get a new wave of infection rising as they are trying to run their vaccination program. That is the last thing we need.
- Debunking some capital gains tax myths
The CGT debate is back in the news – and it’s been met with some reasonable discussion and some tired, old myths. Simon Percival debunks a few common ones. The annual capital gains tax discussion has started up again. Just this month, Chris Hipkins said that Labour was considering a ...4 days ago - Police begin testing new approach to 111 calls, pulling back on social harm callouts
A new system means police will not respond to some 111 calls. ...4 days ago - Te Whatu Ora payment system currently working at 4% capacity
A review in March found there were big problems that appeared unresolvable. ...4 days ago
- How did they get my data? I uncovered the hidden web of networks behind telemarketers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priya Dev, Lecturer & Academic Data Science, Digital Assets & Distributed Ledgers, Australian National University Kokhan O/Shutterstock Last year, I started getting a lot of unsolicited phone calls, mainly from people trying to sell me things. This came as a surprise ...4 days ago - With all these defamation lawsuits, what ever happened to free speech?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Clift, Lecturer in Law, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock It seems like the dust barely settles from the latest high-profile defamation stoush before the next set of litigants straps on the gloves and steps into the ring. Many of these ...4 days ago
- Do footy’s best and fairest awards achieve what they claim?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Fujak, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Deakin University Football’s awards season kicks off this week, with the AFL’s Brownlow Medal awarded on Monday evening and the NRL’s Dally M awarded on October 2. Both medals aim to crown their league’s best ...4 days ago
- Basic service provider or mini democracy? Why NZ needs to decide what it wants from local government
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey McNeill, Honorary Research Associate, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s recent challenge to local government “to rein in the fantasies and to get back to delivering the basics brilliantly” was ...4 days ago
- Why isn’t dental included in Medicare? It’s time to change this – here’s how
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Engin Akyurt/Unsplash When the forerunner of Medicare was established in the 1970s, dental care was left out. Australians are still suffering the consequences half a century later. Patients pay much ...4 days ago
- Human rights and hummus: The fight over Obela in New Zealand is just getting started
While activists insist no dip has been harmed, supermarkets are keeping Obela products in back rooms or surrounding them in A4 signage warning of CCTV surveillance. Hundreds of protestors are pawing “like zombies” at supermarket windows in Christchurch. Managers peep from behind walls of security guards. Police are visiting the ...4 days ago
- Hundreds of thousands of North Island homes could be covered in ash in next volcanic eruption
Ruapehu will blow again in the next 50 years - and what that'll look like is "really uncertain". ...4 days ago
- Why are the violins the biggest section in the orchestra?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Case, Lecturer in Musicology, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney Manuel Nägeli/Unsplash, FAL As the largest section of the orchestra, sitting front and centre of the stage performing memorable melodies, it’s easy for violinists to steal the limelight. ...4 days ago
- Phillip Mehrtens’ hostage-takers claim bribe was paid to secure release
The West Papua National Liberation Army, which held pilot Kiwi Phillip Mehrtens for more than 19 months, says a bribe was paid for his release. ...4 days ago
- ‘Breakthrough discovery’: Indigenous Rangers in outback WA find up to 50 night parrots – one o...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Paltridge, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, ecology, The University of Western Australia In arid inland Australia lives one of Australia’s rarest birds: the night parrot. Missing for more than a century, a live population was rediscovered in 2013. But the species remains ...4 days ago
- Rocky road: The rock in the hill a quarry really, really wants to get out
A quarry has tried repeatedly to crack a permanent protection to get more rock out of a mountain. Now, it's turning to the 'Fast-track' law. ...4 days ago
- Fisher back in the boat amid love and support
After the disappointment of Paris, Aimee Fisher has picked up her paddle once again, in a place where she knows she is surrounded by love.Fisher has been back on the water at the North Shore Canoe Club for a couple of weeks now. Even though, she admits, there was a ...4 days ago - Otago’s simmering water wars bubble towards boiling point
The Government is accused of acting like Biff Tannen from the Back to the Future movies, during a fractious regional council meeting The post Otago’s simmering water wars bubble towards boiling point appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Foreign Minister Winston Peters and former PM Helen Clark united on failings of UN Security Council
The Foreign Minister is likely to use his speech at the UN General Assembly to hammer home the global geo-political situation and what the United Nations' role should be in it. ...4 days ago
- Windbag: Tory Whanau keeps making unforced errors
The Wellington mayor has the political radar of the Aratere. And just like the ferry, she is at risk of losing power. In 2021, Andy Foster was interviewed by Corin Dann on RNZ’s Morning Report about his decision to launch a governance review to address council infighting. Dann repeatedly challenged ...4 days ago
- The half-a-million-dollar decision that still haunts the book industry
Narrative Muse was awarded $500,000 to boost sales of New Zealand books. Three years later, industry insiders report that it has had little, if any, impact. What went wrong? The Spinoff Cover Story is our premier long-form feature offering, made with the generous support of our members. Read our other ...4 days ago
- Gang search clause a step too far
The controversial Gangs Bill has passed its third reading – with even more controversy.It now includes a clause that was added at the eleventh hour without any public consultation.Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith initially rejected a police request to ban gang patches in the private homes of repeat offenders, but then ...4 days ago
- Beyond the bruises: Why violence is a health problem
Opinion: There is a misconception that family violence only affects a few people, but the data shows something different, with experience of family violence being shockingly common.Population-based studies show that over half of New Zealand women experience some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and almost half of ...4 days ago
- NZ ‘niche capabilities’ on table in Aukus talks
The UK government’s domestic agenda will not stop work with NZ on climate change and international issues, high commissioner says The post NZ ‘niche capabilities’ on table in Aukus talks appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Three maps that reveal NZ’s climate future
NZ will get warmer everywhere, wetter in some places and drier in others – but how bad things get is up to us The post Three maps that reveal NZ’s climate future appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- An obligation in Tairāwhiti
It took me years to finally go back home. I didn’t know where ‘home’ was for most of my childhood. As someone who was adopted, I didn’t even know my birth parents’ names, let alone where they were from. I certainly didn’t know what iwi I was, or at one ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 September
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 September appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 23 September
The post Daily crossword, Monday 23 September appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Gold shines brightly in the wake of interest rate cuts
It’s a pity New Zealand no longer has the once thriving gold mining industry it previously boasted towards the later part of the 19th century when the country was still in its infancy.Were it still in existence today, with the huge output that it once produced (a total of 2 million ...4 days ago
- Female full-court press in basketball takeover
Jo Caird was tired of being being continually frustrated with the state of women’s sport in New Zealand; sick of standing on the sidelines and criticising what wasn’t happening. A former New Zealand junior tennis player and the All Blacks’ first official photographer, Caird had watched in awe as the ...4 days ago
- Coalition should worry about reality outside, not this theatre of the absurd
Opinion: Question Time is an expression of the most simplistic version of democracy, not its epitome The post Coalition should worry about reality outside, not this theatre of the absurd appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- GCSB completes audit of systems, including capabilities of foreign partners
The audit was recommended after it was revealed an unnamed foreign agency was allowed too much leeway inside the bureau for years. ...5 days ago
- Government celebrates as number of whānau in emergency housing drops by more than half
The figures show a policy to move children out of "unsuitable dank motels" is working, minister claims. ...5 days ago
- Government taking urgent action to restrict sale of nitrous oxide
The Drug Foundation says prohibition doesn't work and just stops users from seeking help. ...5 days ago
- Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau sold car to walk to work, not pay bills
Tory Whanau - who earns nearly $190K - said her recent comments during a long interview had been "taken out of context". ...5 days ago
- Opposition forcing long debates on brief committees
The House - The opposition has rediscovered a long-disused tactic, and recently used it to protest the government curtailing the time spent considering legislation in select committees. ...5 days ago
- An Ode to .. Tory Whanau
Brideshead RebudgetedThe House of Tory had fallenOn hard times.Returning after many yearsTo the Grand Estate,I strolled in once lush Courtney Meadows,now tangled with stringy weeds and thickets.The Lambton Wing had fallen into disrepair.Dust collected on the chandeliers.Laughter once rose from these tablesOf the Banquet Hall,And goblets clinked with merry effect.Now ...5 days ago
- From bystander effect to bystander effective
The ‘bystander effect’ has been a staple of psychology texts since the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese and the New York Times published an article claiming 38 witnesses saw or heard the attack and did nothing about it. While the Times article turned out to have inaccuracies, subsequent research replicated ...5 days ago
- IINZ Condemns NZ’s Participation In Diplomatic Terrorism
Our closest democratic allies, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA either abstained or voted against the resolution. New Zealand is once again out of step. ...5 days ago - Public Consultation Begins Over Flight Paths Options
Our closest democratic allies, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA either abstained or voted against the resolution. New Zealand is once again out of step. ...5 days ago
- West Papua Action Aotearoa On The End Of NZ Pilot’s Captivity
We welcome the news and we hope that this positive outcome will lead to the New Zealand Government calling on Indonesia to withdraw troops from Papuan highlands. ...6 days ago
- Condemnation Of NZ Support Of Unjust UNGA Resolution
The Resolution’s call for Israel to withdraw all its military forces from the “Occupied Palestinian Territory”, is a denial of her right to self defence and with no similar call for Palestinians to lay down its arms, is an invitation for continued attacks ...6 days ago
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