Two years of living dangerously
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1:53 pm, March 1st, 2022 - 75 comments
Categories: climate change, covid-19, health, uncategorized -
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Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the first Covid case in New Zealand.
What a time it has been.
The initial sense of doom was strong. I can recall waking up every morning and checking Johns Hopkins to see what the new infection numbers were. Hearing about the initial wave that hit Italy. How China was resolute and through suppression techniques that would not work in many Western nations managed to beat back the virus. How Brazil, America and England butchered their responses through contempt for intellectualism and pandering to selfish stupidity.
I can also recall the feeling of euphoria after the first wave was seen off. The sense of freedom as we lived mostly very normal lives as the rest of the world burned. Sure we were not able to go on overseas trips or enjoy the comfort of a million overseas tourists but otherwise things were pretty good.
The country then saw off two more waves while millions died overseas.
Then Delta hit. It had succeeded in devastating many health systems. Ours coped. Peak daily cases were over 200 in November 2001 and by January 18 the six month tally of cases had peaked 11,337 at with a then daily infection rate of 16. Thanks to vaccination rates that were the envy of many countries in the world it seemed for a while that we could see Delta off as well.
https://twitter.com/farmgeek/status/1483245546492276744
Then it was Omicron’s turn. Yesterday the six month tally of cases topped 100,000. Today there were nearly 20,000 new cases. Suddenly everyone has a member of their extended family, a work mate, a friend of a friend or a contact who has the virus. Hospitalisations yesterday topped 300 but the number in ICU is still half of the Delta peak. So far.
The Government has moved quickly to reopen the borders. It became increasingly difficult to justify the restrictions given what was happening locally. National will claim credit through using that tried and trusted technique of anticipating something that will inevitably happen in the future and then insisting that it happens quicker.
The mandate policy is holding but clearly will be reviewed in the near future. Jacinda Ardern over the past few months has been saying precisely this.
There has been some conjecture that the recent High Court decision overruling the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Specified Work Vaccinations) Order 2021 would result in the end of mandates. The order required police officers and military personnel to be vaccinated. This case is not authority for the proposition that all aspects of the mandate policy are illegal. The Judge made it clear that in his view the internal employment policies of Police and Defence, which already allows for vaccines to be mandated, should have been relied on and the order of itself, because its effects were limited, could not be justified. He also said this:
I should make it clear what this case is not about. The Order being set aside in the present case was not implemented for the purposes of limiting the spread of COVID-19. Health advice was that such a further mandate was not needed for this purpose. Neither should the Court’s conclusion be understood to question the effectiveness and importance of vaccination. The evidence shows that vaccination significantly improves the prospects of avoiding serious illness and death, even with the Omicron variant. It confirms the importance of a booster dose given the waning effect of the first two doses of the vaccine.
The same Judge upheld the Customs Officer mandate but in that decision said:
Whether the challenged measure would remain demonstrably justified on the basis that it contributes to addressing the spread of the virus in circumstances when the virus is endemic in at least parts of New Zealand is an open question.
Clearly we are approaching that time where we will need to learn to live with the virus. Some of us, myself included, would like to give lockdown one more go, particularly as cases skyrocket, just to get a hold on infections and dampen numbers down so that our system can cope and our doctors and nurses can be given a breather. I don’t think this will happen however.
As a nation we have performed well. We are better prepared and more resilient to the virus than any other nation.
Looking back the response has been world beating and we are in a better place than any other developed country in the handling of Covid. Now we have to get ready and help each other through the most difficult battle yet.
And when this is finished we have to deal with climate change. A once in a century health crisis is going to be a walk in the park compared to the ravages that climate change will inflict on us.
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- Release: Over 15,000 sign Labour’s open letter to Luxon
As the hīkoi to Parliament continues, Labour has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a last-ditch attempt to get him to kill the Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Fast Track Bill threatens environment, climate and reputation
The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin. ...1 week ago
- Greens join King’s Counsel in calling for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned
The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors
...1 week ago
- Release: Labour formally apologises to state and faith-based care survivors
Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...1 week ago
- Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care
Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...1 week ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect
The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...2 weeks ago
- Without action, an apology will be empty air
For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference
Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent wake-up call on climate
The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...2 weeks ago
- Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world
Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies
Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...2 weeks ago
- Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ must pursue independent foreign policy
The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...2 weeks ago
- New facility in Christchurch will improve the lives of young New Zealanders
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today opened Kahurangi, an innovative and much-needed facility for Canterbury’s Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health Services. “The new state of the art outpatient facility opened today will be a gamechanger for the way mental health is delivered for young people in Canterbury,” says Mr ...17 minutes ago - Driver safety screens to be installed on Auckland buses
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that bus driver protection screens will be installed across Auckland’s bus fleet by 2026.“The Government is committed to improving the safety of working environments for bus drivers, and Budget 2024 allocated $15 million of Crown funding over ...46 minutes ago
- Government action provides Southland farmers more time to meet plan requirements
The Government is taking action to ensure Southland farmers and growers are not affected by unreasonable regional farm plan deadlines, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.“Cabinet has agreed to provide more time for farmers and growers to comply with regional rules ...17 hours ago
- Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
The Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Bill had its first reading at Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “In recent years we have seen an unacceptable spike in youth offending. “This Bill makes ...18 hours ago
- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
Fairer, more sensible rules about managing earthquake risks are a step closer with the passing of legislation and the appointment of an independent chair to provide expert advice, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The Government is committed to reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth, ...18 hours ago
- State of the art radiology machine for Auckland
People in Northland and Auckland will benefit from a new machine for cancer treatment installed at the Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital. The MV5 linear accelerator, or LINAC machine, officially opened today targets cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says this new, ...19 hours ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Europe
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Europe for high-level talks with France, Germany and the United Kingdom next week. "Since taking office almost a year ago, the Coalition Government has emphasised the importance we place on New Zealand's traditional and likeminded diplomatic and ...19 hours ago
- First arrests made under gang patch ban
Police have made their first arrests under the new gang patch legislation, with two gang members arrested, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Just before 11 this morning, Police in Wairoa apprehended a gang member for wearing a patch to the supermarket. He has been arrested and will now face enforcement ...20 hours ago
- Better support for victims of sexual violence
The Government is proposing two major changes to name suppression laws that will put the views of victims of sexual violence first, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We are committed to restoring law and order and these two proposed changes will help ensure the victims of crime are put at ...21 hours ago
- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
Cabinet has agreed to invite all regions to submit proposals for Regional Deals between central and local government that drive economic growth and deliver the infrastructure our country needs, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. Inviting all regions to propose a Regional Deal that boosts ...22 hours ago
- MSA pilot participant update
One of the ten young men selected to participate in the Military-Style Academy Pilot has allegedly reoffended. Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is disappointed but says it would be naïve to think that none of these young men would reoffend. “I’m saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity ...22 hours ago
- Fighting for Kiwis in Trade
Delivered at Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School Good morning and thank you Deputy Vice Chancellor Lithander for your warm welcome and for inviting me to open Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School today. A Special thanks to the University of Auckland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ...23 hours ago
- Attendance rates increase, again
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that school attendance is continuing to rise. In Term 3 of 2024 51.3 per cent of students attended school regularly, an increase of 5.3 percentage points from 46 per cent in Term 3 of 2023. “This Government has prioritised student attendance and it is ...1 day ago
- Improving the lives of young New Zealanders
Ensuring New Zealand is the best place in the world for children and young people is the vision at the heart of the Government’s new Child and Youth Strategy, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. “Childhood represents a huge opportunity to set people on a positive path towards living ...1 day ago
- Government continues work to reinstate livestock exports by sea
The Government is reinstating the trade of livestock exports by sea while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, says Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard.“The Government will introduce legislation changes to reinstate the trade, enhance oversight, and strengthen requirements for exporters to identify risks and manage the welfare of ...2 days ago
- Speech to the National Quality Forum 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa – it is a pleasure to be here today. I would like to begin by acknowledging the important leadership role you all play in ensuring a quality health system New Zealanders can trust. There is enormous clinical expertise in this room covering a wide range of disciplines. ...2 days ago
- New Zealand’s COP29 National Statement
Tēnā koutou katoa. Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. New Zealand, and all nations represented here today, are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. Our households, businesses, and economies are bearing the costs of its effects. The choices we make now will shape the severity of these impacts for generations ...2 days ago
- Latest Quarterly Investment Report released
The Government has released its second Quarterly Investment Report (QIR) which shows substantial work still to be done by agencies to improve investment reporting and meet the Government’s expectations, Infrastructure and Acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “New Zealand has significant infrastructure and investment needs. The Government is determined to get ...2 days ago
- New Zealand supporting loss and damage fund
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$10 million to the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage while at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. “New Zealand is joining the global effort to address the significant challenge of responding to ...2 days ago
- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
The free ride for gangs is over when the clock strikes midnight tonight, with tough new laws officially coming into effect, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say. “Gang patches will no longer be able to be worn in public. To earn the right to wear a ...2 days ago
- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
The Government is welcoming the decision by the Local Government Funding Agency to increase access to financing tools for fast growing councils to support greater investment in critical infrastructure, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.“Communities across the country are facing an infrastructure deficit and significant population growth is projected in ...2 days ago
- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
The Government has revealed that over the past three years, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has spent an eyewatering $786 million of taxpayers’ money on road cones and temporary traffic management (TTM), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“When I became Minister, I was surprised to learn that that NZTA did ...2 days ago
- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
Legislation that will double the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal from $30,000 to $60,000 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. “We need to improve court timeliness and access to justice so that Kiwis and get on with their lives. Court delays affect everyone, the ...3 days ago
- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
Legislation that will specifically criminalise foreign interference and strengthen espionage offences has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “It is normal and appropriate for states to interact and work to influence one another. This encourages cooperation and can have mutually beneficial outcomes. “However, the reality ...3 days ago
- Significant milestone for Canterbury Road of National Significance
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has approved funding towards pre-implementation and early works on the State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance (RoNS). “Reaching this significant milestone is a reflection of our Government’s ...3 days ago
- Health survey results to help drive change
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says findings from the annual Health Survey highlight the need to continue driving better health outcomes for New Zealanders. The New Zealand Health Survey is an annual snapshot of key metrics measured from July 2023 – July 2024. Findings released this morning include: In 2023/24, ...3 days ago
- Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025
A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking will build on what has worked to date and target the groups who most need support, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The latest New Zealand Health Survey results show the daily smoking rate at 6.9 per cent and we ...3 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...3 days ago
- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan improve the quality of regulation by opening consultation on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. “New Zealand's low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation,” says Mr Seymour. ...3 days ago
- Red Tape Tipline goes live
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline is now live. “We want to hear about your red tape horror stories. From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour. The ...3 days ago
- Youth Parliament 2025 announced
The Minister for Youth Matt Doocey has today announced the eleventh Youth Parliament will be taking place in 2025. “Youth Parliament offers a unique youth development opportunity to young people from across New Zealand to experience the political process and learn about how government works,” says Mr Doocey. “The two-day ...4 days ago
- Police stats show promising change
After nearly a year in Government, Kiwis have seen significant change across law and order with promising early results shown across some Police statistics, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “In August 2023, I told New Zealanders that if they had not started to see a change in public safety within ...4 days ago
- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...4 days ago
- Minister to consider 7AA select committee report
Minister for Children Karen Chhour will consider the recommendations made by the Social Services and Community Committee in its report back to Parliament on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill. “I want to thank the people who made submissions and those who appeared before the committee in ...4 days ago
- Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. “We need to take every opportunity to engage with our international partners, given the increasingly unstable geo-political situation,” Ms Collins says. “New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to this ...4 days ago
- Launching the White Ribbon Ride
The Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, was on hand to wish riders well at the start of the North Island leg of the White Ribbon Ride in Whakatāne this morning. The ride helps mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ...5 days ago
- Construction to begin on next stage of Papakura to Drury
Construction on the next stage of the SH1 Papakura to Drury project will begin early next month, with the contract for works awarded to Fulton Hogan, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. "SH1 Papakura to Drury is a key project that will drive economic growth and productivity, reduce congestion, and enable people ...6 days ago
- NZ signs trade deal with Costa Rica, Iceland and Switzerland
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has signed a pioneering trade agreement that prioritises New Zealand’s sustainable exports at a ceremony during APEC in Peru today. “The Agreement on Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS), between Costa Rica, Iceland, and Switzerland was concluded in July of this year and opens up significant ...6 days ago
- Government and iwi work together on aquaculture
Five new Aquaculture Settlement Areas will help ensure Ngāi Tahu shares in the opportunities aquaculture offers for Southland’s economy, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The Aquaculture Settlement Areas (ASAs) I’m announcing today set aside space so the Crown and Ngāi Tahu can assess their potential for aquaculture development. ...7 days ago
- Government launches review to ensure electricity market is fit-for-purpose
The terms of reference for a review of the performance of the electricity market have been released. The review, initiated by the Coalition Government during the power crisis in winter will look at whether current regulations and market design support economic growth and access to reliable and affordable electricity, Energy Minister ...7 days ago
- RNA editing is the next frontier in gene therapy – here’s what you need to know
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne IoanaB/Shutterstock The United States Food and Drug Administration has just approved the first-ever clinical trial that uses CRISPR-Cas13 RNA editing. Its ...1 hour ago - Yes, you still need to use sunscreen, despite what you’ve heard on TikTok
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Lee, PhD Candidate, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland Karolina Grabowska/Pexels Summer is nearly here. But rather than getting out the sunscreen, some TikTokers are urging followers to chuck it out and go sunscreen-free. They claim it’s healthier ...1 hour ago
- Humans are killing off the old and wise animals that hold nature together. Here’s what must change
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keller Kopf, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Charles Darwin University Laxmikant Ameenagad, Shutterstock In humans and other animals, ageing is generally associated with a decline in biological function. But scientists are now discovering older animals perform vital roles in populations and ecosystems. ...1 hour ago
- A man scouring Google Earth found a mysterious scar in the Australian outback – and now scientists...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matej Lipar, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University Author provided/Google Earth Earlier this year, a caver was poring over satellite images of the Nullarbor Plain when he came across something unexpected: an enormous, mysterious scar etched ...1 hour ago
- Design as a movement: how First Nations people take ownership of their cultural stories through fash...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Once located 250 metres to the east of the Art Gallery of South Australia, the grand beaux-arts style Jubilee Exhibition Building was constructed to house the ...1 hour ago
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The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says a third medical school and more students in Auckland and Otago are both needed. ...2 hours ago - Cricket balls can concuss and even kill batters – at all levels, helmet use must be taken seriousl...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Greenhow, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Bond University Linda George/Shutterstock The ten-year anniversary of the death of much-loved Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes falls on November 27. The 25-year-old’s life was tragically cut short in 2014 when a bouncer ...2 hours ago
- Hold the roosters, no economic dawn yet
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Gomes-Ng, Senior Lecturer of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Former New Zealand prime minister John Key has three white rabbits painted on his helicopter, a nod to his “massively superstitious” habit of repeating “white rabbits” three times at ...4 hours ago
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The coalition has "absolutely no intention of listening to the evidence that comes out of their experiment", Labour MP says. ...5 hours ago
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Labour claims Government is ‘cherry-picking’ smoking trends data to hide decade-first increase in daily smokers The post Smoke and mirrors in tobacco debate appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 hours ago - Smoke and mirrors in heated tobacco debate
Labour claims Government is ‘cherry-picking’ smoking trends data to hide decade-first increase in daily smokers The post Smoke and mirrors in heated tobacco debate appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 hours ago
- Treasury bangs the drum on ‘unsustainable’ superannuation
The Government’s economic adviser is sending a message it doesn’t want to hear – superannuation is increasingly unaffordable The post Treasury bangs the drum on ‘unsustainable’ superannuation appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 hours ago
- Victims of sex offending welcome shift on name suppression laws
A man abused by a former political figure is "immensely relieved" at a government proposal to end secrecy around sex offenders' identities. ...5 hours ago
- This week three parties stood together – can they withstand the storm to come?
There is plenty yet to play out, but the next election is at this rate shaping up as trio versus trio, writes Toby Manhire. A subplot of this week’s historic hīkoi mō te Tiriti has been the sight of the three opposition parties presenting a unified front. Te Pāti Māori ...5 hours ago
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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, Friday 22 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 hours ago
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon did not meet the Treaty Principles Bill hikoi crowd, sees “nothing” of merit in the Act-proposed law but the Parliament his Government dominates will spend six months debating a “divisive” measure.That’s because he has accepted there needs to be “aeration” of people’s views on the Treaty, ...5 hours ago
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Oh MS, don't worry Jacinda has saved us from 80,000 deaths.
Shit it must be hard living in your world, where everything Labour good, everything/one else bad. To see only one side of the picture. Still you did try to hide funding for Cunliffe in a trust so I guess there is a little bit grey in there somewhere.
See the graph at the top of the post? It shows respective death rates.
As for your dig at me all I can do is repeat what the Ukraine Road authority has said to the Russians.
It is just your sooooooooo predictable. You have become the Wilbur Smith or Lee Child of The Standard.
Do you agree that the Govt handling of RATS was absolutely piss poor?
Can you actually bring yourself to say that?
I don't know.
[stop attacking authors, it’s bannable offense on TS. I see you do this again and I will ban you. You’re in premod until I see an acknowledgement and agreement – weka]
I smell a troll.
At least you can smell
According to Ash the loss of smell and taste is not one of the Omicron symptoms
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-nearly-20-000-new-community-cases-373-people-in-hospital-ashley-bloomfield/
good news. Also this,
Certainly 1 workmate and my partner lost their sense of smell with Omicron so think it can still happen
So did our son. Could not smell or taste strawberry metamucil.
hmm kind of telling that your Go-To Author selection was these 2 ? As far removed from my reading…OR applicable to MS as could be imagined…in a thousand Imaginings.
mod note.
Point noted.
thank-you.
I'm sure you have a flag pole in your front yard flying an upside down New Zealand flag.
Why don't you join the 95%, be proud of your country, and fly it the right way up!
Please don’t
Apologies.
I've talked about my position over the last few days. I'm working bloody hard to to get me and my family through this. Trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in a 1 in 100 year pandemic with ever changing situations so that they are able to be confident and ready to contribute to the post pandemic world and make it better than it was.
I do my bit for the many, including pandemic denying antivaxxers, but I do get tweaky when those particular people continue their bullshit day after day, and month after month.
Thanks and I hear you, but that other commenter had already been warned by a Moderator today and perhaps should be given some ‘space’ and not ‘egged on’.
Handling of RATS is fine. We have plenty of them in the country at just the right time.
Bullshit, we have barely any. The ministry has failed to actually supply many of the pharmacies that it has been advertising as holding RATs. Go and talk to pharmacy staff who have been fielding requests for months with no supply and no information. As is so often the case with this, the second most disappointing govt of my lifetime, all that matters is the announcement.
RATs are selling like hot cross buns: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/127908015/rapid-antigen-tests-fly-off-pharmacy-and-supermarket-shelves and https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/127925681/price-war-beckons-as-the-warehouse-starts-selling-rapid-antigen-tests.
Try on-line – Warehouse Retail, Chemist Warehouse or Bargain Warehouse.
PakNSave and New World are stocking them from next week.
Many of those are sold out as of today as stocks are minimal. And many of the pharmacies that the ministry has been promoting for months as the only available place to get them have never seen one.
Still on-line at Bargain Chemist.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/28/plane-delivering-tonnes-of-rats-touches-down-in-christchurch/
5 million plus 10 million equals 15 million. 14 million in the country.
Hmm. have you already taken out a million that has been used? Or?
Why don’t you ask Lachie McLeod who wrote the piece I linked to? Did you see the “around” ×2 in the text I quoted? But you make a very good point and it looks like they’re telling us fibs again, doesn’t it?
I've had like two dozen work surveillance RATs. Not sure what the issue is.
Never felt the need to horde them for home use.
Out here in West Auckland they are easily obtained.
Which were your best two Governments? John Key Fan???
Go to the Warehouse.
Nah they were late, needed th widely available 2-3 weeks ago
Why? We went into Phase 3 of the Omicron Response Plan at 11:59 pm last Thursday night.
To give my workplace as an example, we had a H&S plan that was going to use RATS across the whole workforce 3 x per week to help prevent widespread infection. Our first cases came at the beginning of phase 2 from an asymptomatic and boosted work mate. We've been hit pretty hard now. If we were able to RAT test as planned we would likely have avoided some of the spread at work. Our RATS finally turned up yesterday afternoon..
Sorry to hear that. May I ask where your workplace ordered the RATs from and where they obtained them from, in the end? My workplace also had a limited supply of RATs, but I didn’t get the impression it would have made a material difference, TBH.
“In an unprecedented move, iwi leaders across Aotearoa – including the Kīngitanga and Taranaki Whānui – have condemned those occupying Parliament’s grounds, who they accuse of “flagrant disrespect of tikanga”.”
“Followers of Parihaka, the Taranaki Whānui laid Te Kahu o Te Raukura across their whenua tūpuna. Kura Moeahu, the chairman of Pipitea, said Te Kahu o Te Raukura was a cloak of aroha and peace, which he hoped the protesters would take heed of.”"
After being lectured for decades by the NZ petit bourgeoisie, SME operators and the Round Table–Roger Kerr RIP, and Business New Zealand, EMA and Federated Farmers and every other aspirational tinpot capitalist lobby group about the superiority of initiative, the market, and self sufficiency and the awfulness of welfare…
…who put their hand out first in 2020 whether they needed it or not? jeez, I don’t know maybe people like Carter Holt Harvey to the tune of around $7mill that they have not paid back despite ongoing profitability, and they are subject to an Employment Court case in April due to their harvesting employees annual leave to boot!
So sod off Pataua and the sheep you rode in on.
Road signs?
https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498390899994378246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1498390899994378246%7Ctwgr%5Ehb_0_8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fnexta_tv2Fstatus2F1498390899994378246widget%3DTweet
Hmm..who to listen to, the covidiot clowns and their opportunistic enablers or the folk tasked with the mahi of keeping us well and treating us should we fall ill?.
“Remove all restrictions!” or “Masks are useless!”. What do we feel? That’s hard to describe. Dejected? Frustrated? Hopeless? Yes. But I think the best descriptor is this: unseen. We feel unseen. Ask us. We will tell you.
We need some restrictions. We need masks. We need physical distancing, open windows, self-isolation of Covid cases and household contacts. Why? Because without that, we are overwhelmed. Not just “the healthcare system is overwhelmed” but we, your nurses and doctors, are overwhelmed. We need the people of New Zealand to help us get through this. We can control what happens when someone arrives at our doors, but that’s where our control ends. We are relying on the people and politicians of Aotearoa to help us, so that we can do our job: helping people.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/01-03-2022/we-feel-unseen-an-auckland-ed-doctor-responds-to-calls-to-ditch-covid-restrictions
I don't know what you read Pataua for life, I don't think Micky thinks as you project.
He is praising a world class approach to the pandemic. Much as it obviously stuck in your craw, Jacinda Ardern her Government and band of Health Advisors and their teams on the ground have been and are magnificent.
The unedifying behaviour by Woodhouse Boag and company, the constant negative barking by the many National leaders over the two years, the media interpreting the 1pm stand ups rather poorly, though Stuff to their credit ran a "rolling facts page" which became a go to.
On The Standard opinions divided and hardened into a cheer leader group (me and a few other optimists) the knowledgeable, who added insight on trends facts and participants including virus behaviour. The others with some salient pointers but mainly a variety of naysayers, denialists and trolls.
Suzy Wiles and Professor Michael Baker DPH explained in lay terms what was happening. We were given good advice in how to have some personal control with handwashing techniques and what would kill the covid virus, how it spread and the social distancing needed and masks. Next we found it was changing and lockdowns began
The removal of barriers to develop a vaccine, saw us waiting and hoping for a good one. They are leaky vaccines, but the course gives good protection against sever illness and death. Sadly this and mandated vaccines for front facing staff has exacerbated divisions over vaccines.
Some have objected to public good being promoted over private freedoms, with name calling of "Tyrant" and cries for "Freedom". Protestors brought many arguments forward, but their voices went from violent to peaceful with no real coherent ideas, except "End Mandates"…. which will end when it is safe … one or two months more?
The majority believe we have been fortunate, and treated well during this by leaders and health edicts designed to save lives. Thank you Jacinda Grant Chris Henare and all, you have done us proud and we are in a stronger position to continue meeting Climate Change challenges.
It's sad to see how very recent history is cynically rewritten, for political point-scoring. A hundred press releases and opinion columns from the opposition, quietly forgotten (looking at you, Hosking and Seymour, to name but two).
Reminder: New Zealand saved lives because the vaccine did not exist.
Now you might think that's so obvious it doesn't need to be said. We all remember the race to develop a vaccine, while the virus raged, don't we? Well, no. Every time you see somebody complaining about "Ardern for the last 2 years" that is what they are choosing to ignore.
Now we are "living with Covid", as the critics demanded for so long. It's not much fun. But until the emergence of Omicron, it would have been vastly worse. "Living with Covid" was not an option, it was only more dying, or less. We chose less.
We and others had beaten the "delta" coronavirus with our high vaccination rates – then came the vaccine resistant Omicron.
I've just on-line ordered a home test kit and await the ability to do the same for anti-viral treatments (or a health system same or next day delivery). This will be the way we live with the coronavirus (and minimise long COVID with early treatment).
As to the prospect of another lockdown – that will depend on hospitalisation rates as we go into winter, or hospitals being over run during winter.
The government got a number of things right in the initial response to covid such as he initial lockdowns and MIQ requirements prior to vaccines becoming available
But have got a number of things wrong or at least poorly implemented such as a slow rollout of vaccination and failures in MIQ and ability to return to NZ by NZ citizens.
In my opinion they also missed a golden opportunity to invest in upgrading and scaling up services to cope with the inevitable outbreak and allowing entry of nursing and clinical staff to support the local workforce during our periods of no significant case numbers of covid in NZ.
Absolutely. They should never be forgiven for spending the first year of the pandemic quibbling with nurses over paying them a couple of grand more to do what they do, which is run the entire health system. Imagine the howls of outrage if it were a national govt.
You do realise that Government is not directly involved in the negotiations with the nurses and that the pay-offers come from the DHBs, don’t you?
Then why did the government get involved?? and Little's comments. For an ex union leader he knows how to turn his back on unions (CTU) and the workers they represent now being a minister. From Littles statements he appeared to me to be taking ownership. But why should we look after our health workers ??
And then we find out commitments from the last pay round were still to be fulfilled. "On top of this, commitments on safe staffing and pay equity made between nurses and District Health Boards (DHBs) three years ago have yet to be fully honoured.
""Let me be clear: the proposal was one they put to the Government"
"The focus now, however, must be on settling the pay-equity claim, and that is where the Government's attention will now be."
https://union.org.nz/ctu-urges-government-to-focus-on-resolving-industrial-dispute-with-nurses/
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/health-minister-andrew-little-responding-new-zealand-nurses-organisations-rejection-latest
""The government acknowledges the stress and despair these circumstances have caused and we are committed to fixing it."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/448066/health-minister-andrew-little-responds-after-nurses-reject-pay-offer
What part of my comment did you not understand? It was brief with not much in it. It sounds like your questions were rhetorical.
Anyway, how are DHBs funded? Hint: they’re not charities.
Edit: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/462543/dhbs-go-to-court-to-try-and-stop-planned-one-day-strike-by-health-staff [just in]
No they are business's,hence they are required to pay a capital return to the government ,so effectively the government borrows at the RBNZ rate,announces new capital expenditure to DHB with a platoon of PR consultants at the ribbon cutting ceremony,then garrotes the DHB with the ribbon ends.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-funding-figure-that-hampers-our-hospitals
‘kay
Ah Treasury…gotta love em
If only the government had a plan to entirely replace the DHBs with a single primary entity…
Spending over a billion dollars on bureaucracy,could be better spent on direct funding.
Direct funding to whom? All health employers have to employ people who aren't health professionals, either directly or indirectly (by paying for services). Handing that billion dollars down the line doesn't eliminate the need for IT and systems, procurement, payroll, tax, accounts and accounting, audits, lawyers, policy advice, coordination, reception, answering phones etc.
Whether to contract out or not is always a good question, but contracting out doesn't eliminate bureaucracy.
You commented "that Government is not directly involved in the negotiations" Yet Little made comments of the government was directly involved. And why then did it need cabinets approval if they had nothing to do with it. ""Health Minister Andrew Little says Cabinet has approved funding for a pay equity claim for nurses, and has written to nurses, DHBS and the Ministry of Health to urge them to start negotiations on the claim."
Incognito you seem more concerned about the small details (semantics) that you have lost sight of the big picture. The govt IS in charge of the heath spend.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/health/health-minister-andrew-little-gives-green-light-to-nurses-pay-equity-deal-negotiations-worth-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars/
No, I’m concerned about blurring the lines. DHBs do the negotiations; Government ultimately holds the purse strings and allocates and approves funding to the DHBs. Anything else is semantics. You know this and yet you’re arguing against it!?
This was a nice but an ultimately fruitless convo. Have a good night now.
Hence the Health Reforms.
Lowerstandards for National no pay rise for 9 yrs.
Health funding cut by 20% per head of population.
Record immigration population increased by 20% over 9 yrs National increased health spending by less than inflation and population increases.
National has been wanting borders open restrictions gone right from the first lockdown. Even in November 2021 National wanted border restrictions gone as Omricon emerged.
If we had followed Nationals Policy the numbers of sick and dead would have been in the 10's of thousands.
Then John Keys big lie about paying more for vaccines would have meant we got vaccines early.
Pfizer came out and told the NZ public it was a big fat lie.
National no Moral standards.
Covid deaths/million:
USA – 2918
UK – 2356
Sweden – 1677
Canada – 956
Denmark – 792
Australia – 200
New Zealand – 11
Covid19 deaths/million continued…
Vanuatu – 0
Samoa – 0
Tonga – 0
Cook Islands – 0
Fiji – 940
Hawaii – 940
French Polynesia – 2274
They also missed the opportunity to attract significant numbers of overseas medical professionals. Who were almost completely shut out of NZ by the immigration system in 2020, and with the critical health worker category far too restrictive, and immigration and MIQ not talking to each other, in 2021.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/revealed-why-critical-healthcare-workers-couldnt-get-into-nz/CM5WRVOZ26V42XON5MG2GQWBUI/
And those, actually here, had their immigration applications frozen (God alone knows why).
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/07/more-than-1000-registered-doctors-and-nurses-waiting-in-new-zealand-residency-queue.html
I don't know what Kris Faafoi was doing during 2020 – but, it seems, not much.
In 2021 he seems to have been obsessed with the immigration reset policy, to the exclusion of the understanding that actually we needed medical professionals as a top priority in an international pandemic – perhaps infected by the belief that we could keep Covid out forever.
And supported by Ardern:
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/immigration-minister-reviews-rules-to-attract-high-skilled-migrants
The co-ordination between the health, immigration and MIQ portfolios, has been one of the poorer performing areas of the Government's Covid management.
Meanwhile the " stealth variant " is the next mutation and is making an appearance in the U.K and is highly transmissible and can cause severe disease. BA.2 is related to Omnicom but spreads faster.
The stealth variant is described as a ‘cousin’ of Omicron and designated BA.2. It’s called stealth because it “has certain genetic traits that make it more difficult to identify as Omicron on diagnostic tests—specifically polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) tests”. However, that does not mean that results of a positive coronavirus test or the care needed will change.
[FFS! If you copy & paste text you must made it clear that it’s a quote, with quotation marks, and you must provide a source/link. The BA.2 variant is already here in NZ but it hasn’t overtaken BA.1 yet; it was briefly discussed here: https://thestandard.org.nz/dont-give-up-new-zealand-omicron-vaccination-protection-and-why-its-the-wrong-time-to-let-it-rip/#comment-1869448. This is your warning – Incognito]
Mod note for you.
We can and should accept the government has done well managing the pandemic. Fewer and fewer will give credit to the government for that.
When you stand back and look at where we are as a country, the measures of the performance of this government are actually terrible.
Most of us a far poorer. Wealth is far more concentrated in the hands of the top 5%.. Child poverty is static overall with some improvements. Benefits and food banks are through the roof, despite low unemployment, so we are beset with working poverty.
Most of us have damaged mental health. There's less public transport use, less inter-regional travel, less international travel. Few services. No idea whether health reforms will help services or patients.
More of us have our income consumed by rent, and fewer own houses to pass wealth on. That's both short and long term damage.
More of our South Island and central North Island land is sucked dry by dairy production, and will likely never recover.
Our energy use and type is worse. Our conservation estate is worse. Our CO2 production is worse.
There is no plan for the country. There are measures, which isn't the same thing.
When this government started we were promised "transformation", then a "year of delivery", and then something else.
We ought to have an improved country after two terms. We don't.
With the doomsaying economic predictions in the early days, I'm not sure the government had a lot of serious choice in how they protected the economy once they had gone down the path of lockdowns etc to protect the people from Covid itself. They relied on economic advice as they did health advice, and the economic advice and forecasting seriously missed the boat, so the government pumped in many billions of dollars which turned out not to be needed in the same quantities, but who could foresee that in March 2020?
Sourced from the Canary
" Meanwhile the " stealth variant " is the next mutation and is making an appearance in the U.K and is highly transmissible and can cause severe disease. BA.2 is related to Omnicom but spreads faster "
" The stealth variant is described as a ‘cousin’ of Omicron and designated BA.2. It’s called stealth because it “has certain genetic traits that make it more difficult to identify as Omicron on diagnostic tests—specifically polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) tests”. However, that does not mean that results of a positive coronavirus test or the care needed will change "
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2022/02/27/as-stealth-variant-spreads-boris-johnson-is-more-interested-in-retaining-power/
Ta
Mat Simpson Bay is here to.So far its only more transmissible.
Not more dangerous.
A new variant could emerge any day that could be more deadly as much of the world especially in crowded poor countries with little or no health services and very low vaccination rates.
At the moment Omricon is dominant but as with this Pandemic no one can say we have and end in sight.
Caution by this govt has been our best response.
Exactly,this has been the fundamental failure of the battalions of bullshitters from PR it the messaging that is important,and it is only one spoke in the wheel.
You need to get vaccinated to lessen the chance of infection,and decrease the risk of serious illness if infected.
It is NOT BAU,you do not get to decrease the NPI as the WHO stated quite succinctly.
Reducing constraints on border controls,because you looked bad in the overseas press is a fucken failure.Stating that we will be able to have tourism back etc,will be the death nell for tourism and hospitality as NZers shelter in place,and as have most jurisdictions when entertainment was elevated above peoples health.
See Finland for example.
https://mattiheino.com/2022/02/21/let-me-be-your-deja-vu/
^^^^
This