health

Categories under health

Why vaccine mandates are needed

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, October 27th, 2021 - 165 comments

The Government has announced vaccine mandates for some publicly facing businesses designed to help minimise the spread of a virus that has killed millions of people world wide.

In December 2022 We Will Be …

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, October 25th, 2021 - 15 comments

A year ago we were preparing for the America’s Cup and threading our way through the latest crisis quite well.  What will we be planning next year?

Won’t someone think of the business owners?

Written By: - Date published: 12:04 pm, October 24th, 2021 - 174 comments

This week Judith Collins was reported to be close to tears.  But not about the possibility of a significant number of deaths but by the prospect of business closures.

Mad Tuesday

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 pm, October 22nd, 2021 - 15 comments

NZ Government is jumping at the deep end by re-opening schools on Tuesday.

Friday will change Us As Citizens

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, October 22nd, 2021 - 210 comments

While we may have been lifted out of martial lockdowns and some rights have been reinstated in limited form, we have surrendered to another more pervasive power.  The power of big data.

National’s plan – open and be damned

Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, October 21st, 2021 - 71 comments

Yesterday National released what feels like take 16 of its Covid response plan, this one focussing on business interests and setting a hard timeline for reopening.  But getting significant details wrong and rehashing failed policies previously tried in England has dampened its effect.

Covid and kindness

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, October 20th, 2021 - 127 comments

The vaccine is a bloody useful tool, not a panacea. This is a long crisis that requires us to pay heed the bigger picture.

Get Ugly

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, October 20th, 2021 - 94 comments

Kindness will not get the country to meet its Covid vaccination goals.  It is time to change the tone.

Jacinda Ardern: Tear Down This Wall

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, October 17th, 2021 - 109 comments

In the coming months Fortress New Zealand will be dismantled.  What will take its place?

Don’t be lax, get your vax

Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, October 16th, 2021 - 43 comments

Posted for the big drive today for vaccinations for news and comments.  Image borrowed from Waipareira who are doing great work out west.

Why Can’t We Do More?

Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, October 16th, 2021 - 35 comments

The Government’s dramatic action taken over the past 18 months to respond to Covid and the population’s overwhelming support suggests that it should be taking similar drastic action to address poverty and climate change.

Time for Auckland to go back to level four?

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, October 15th, 2021 - 114 comments

With daily Covid infection rates in Tamaki Makaurau increasing it may be time for the Government to consider a short sharp lockdown to try and arrest this increase and to let vaccination rates improve.

Goudie blunders again

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, October 14th, 2021 - 176 comments

Thames Coromandel mayor Sandra Goudie who previously admitted not scanning where she goes has been at it again, this time stating that the Pfeizer vaccine is not good enough for her and she will be waiting for the Novovax vaccine to be available before she gets vaccinated.

David Seymour is all class

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, October 12th, 2021 - 71 comments

David Seymour suggested that suburbs where the vaccination rate hit 90% should be allowed extra freedom.  But an analysis suggests that the wealthiest parts of Auckland, including Remuera and Epsom would qualify, whereas the poorer parts of Auckland would struggle to qualify.

More Promises from Prime Minister Morrison

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, October 11th, 2021 - 14 comments

So, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is preparing for a November resumption of international air travel.

Covid D day

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, October 11th, 2021 - 159 comments

Some big decisions are due to happen today.  What happens to Auckland’s Covid status?  Should the lockdown level be reduced or should the Government think about putting it back up?

Gender split is interesting in latest poll

Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, October 7th, 2021 - 30 comments

The latest Roy Morgan poll was run between August 30th and September 26th. The headline results of Labour/Greens with 55% (increase by 3.5%) against opposition National/Act/Maori parties on 41% (up 0.5%) were good enough. But they also showed the gender split.. Women are deserting the right.

Gut Feeling and Common Sense

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 pm, October 6th, 2021 - 42 comments

With clear information people can and should be expected to make optimal and sub-optimal choices & decisions.

Holding our covid nerve

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, October 6th, 2021 - 48 comments

and keeping the faith.

That our covid response is not working out perfectly doesn’t mean we or the government are failing. What we need more of at this point are stories about ‘what if things work out’.  Not in a Pollyanna or return to BAU sense, but that we can still be ok. We need strong narratives of what that might be like, us being ok despite the pandemic.

Right now Sonny Fatupaito is an essential worker

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, October 6th, 2021 - 125 comments

News that the head of Waikato’s Mongrel Mob chapter was given an essential workers exemption to travel to and around Auckland recently has attracted derision from the usual quarters.  But right now Sonny Fatupaito’s help is essential.

Priorities?

Written By: - Date published: 7:54 pm, October 3rd, 2021 - 16 comments

Is setting priorities just a matter of resources?

Who are these angry Aucklanders?

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, October 3rd, 2021 - 243 comments

This weekend there have been two attempts to undermine the current Auckland Covid lock down.  Brian Tamaki’s was not the most ludicrous.

Goodbye Gladys

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, October 2nd, 2021 - 41 comments

Mike Hosking’s go to female Politician Gladys Berejiklian has resigned in disgrace after the Independent Commission against Corruption announced a formal inquiry into her involvement in preferential grants given to organisations in her former boyfriend’s seat from which it is alleged he attempted to receive a commission.

Covid does not give a fuck about your plans

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, September 30th, 2021 - 31 comments

This week we have seen reckons from John Key, Act and National on how we should be loosening up Covid lockdown restrictions.  Yesterday’s 45 new cases shows how dangerous it is to think that dealing with Covid is a simple management exercise.

This turkey is struggling cooped up in a bubble

Written By: - Date published: 6:21 pm, September 29th, 2021 - 78 comments

Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas but Kiwis do, don’t they?

Government introduces law to assist tenants

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, September 29th, 2021 - 19 comments

Barry Soper and the Property Council are up in arms about proposals to ensure that all commercial tenants should only pay a fair proportion of their rental if their use of the premises has been affected by responses to the Covid pandemic.

Smug hermit king

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, September 27th, 2021 - 127 comments

John Key has doubled down on his claims that Aotearoa is a smug hermit kingdom and claimed that it is imperative that international travel is eased although he is fine with all other restrictions to stay in place.

Key’s baaaack

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, September 26th, 2021 - 273 comments

John Key is back and has described New Zealand as a smug hermit kingdom for daring to so far achieve something no other western nation has been able to accomplish, holding back Covid and preventing thousands of deaths.

Fearmongering or telling it how it is?

Written By: - Date published: 5:14 pm, September 25th, 2021 - 29 comments

42 is not the meaning of life and 13 is not an unlucky number.

The Golden Ticket

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 24th, 2021 - 110 comments

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern claimed yesterday that a very high vaccination rate in New Zealand would represent a “golden ticket” and make level 4 lockdowns redundant. What could that mean that’s positive for New Zealand?

The more difficult end to the vaccination programme

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, September 23rd, 2021 - 204 comments

The country is reaching an interesting stage in the vaccination programme where reluctant vaccinees will have to receive the jab to make sure that we reach herd immunity.