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There is a new death and six new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, according to director general of health Ashley Bloomfield.
The new death brings our total number to 14. She was an 80-year-old woman from the Rosewood nursing home group in Christchurch where seven other people died.
Bloomfield said that every person New Zealand loses to Covid-19 is a tragedy.
He has given his daily press conference, along with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has given an update on alert level 3, which will take effect at 11.59 on Monday.
The total number of cases is now 1,451. So far, 1036 have been recovered. There are 11 people in the hospital.
When asked when New Zealand will drop to 0 new cases, Bloomfield said the goal was to stop any ongoing infections.
“This is the situation we wanted to be in, and the situation we want to stay in,” he said.
Ardern said three of today’s six cases were related to foreign travelers.
Those who return to New Zealand will continue to have to be quarantined when they return.
There are 2403 people who have returned to their homes in quarantine, in hotels.
Going to level 3
Ardern encouraged people to “support local businesses” when NZ enters Level 3 and do research on whether their favorite takeout providers’ delivery or contactless pickup.
Bloomfield said a new order means some companies will be able to work in the next few days to prepare for Level 3, if they can do it safely.
Ardern said he expected 400,000 people to return to work next week. “Safety is paramount” when moving to level 3.
He said the Auckland City Rail liaison work will continue at Level 3: More than 200 workers will return to work.
That will increase to 400 in the coming weeks.
She said that rerouting transportation infrastructure projects is an approach for the government.
Maintenance of the state highway will also resume at level 3, he said.
There will be an announcement about hunting rules under level 3 tomorrow.
Health Minister David Clark and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters will return to Wellington at level 3.
Both have not been in the capital during the level 4 period.
Offenses
Ardern reminded people that although the country is at level 3 on Monday, New Zealand is still at level 4 this long ANZAC weekend.
Police told him that 99.99 percent of people are obeying the rules, but there were 4,128 infractions, 430 prosecutions, and 115 youth referrals.
She urged Kiwis to stay home this weekend.
“While we look forward to things we can do at level 3, we don’t risk the gains we’ve made.”
“Each and every one of these people who break the rules runs the risk of undoing the work of others.”
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During the long Easter weekend, the police were in effect arresting people who were out of their bubbles.
A similar situation is expected this weekend.
When asked about iwi checkpoints in New Zealand, he said that the police have been working closely with iwis.
She said they have been “operating within the law.”
“The police know that the intention is to take care of each other.”
She said she has had no reports of people being bullied at any checkpoint.
Arden disagrees with its former director
Ardern said he disagreed with comments from his former school principal, John Inger, of Morrinsville College.
Inger criticized the decision that allows some students to return to school next week, telling parents that their children may die from the virus and that the government has transferred childcare tasks to teachers.
In a three-page newsletter obtained by the Herald, he warned of the “potential disaster” of sending children to school once level 4 rises next week.
He said some parents may be sending children back to school simply because they are a “neck ache” at home.
Children can get Covid-19 and pass it on when they don’t have symptoms, and they can die, “Inger said, citing the Marist College group in Auckland.
And although the school would try to maintain rules of social distancing for children, this could not be guaranteed, he said.
Ardern said Inger probably had that in mind when she made the comments today: Her father was a police officer and her mother a teacher, both essential workers, so she probably would have had to return to school.
Ardern thanked all cleaners across the country.
She said they have been essential in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Small business / h2>
During the Epidemic Response Committee in session yesterday, National Deborah Russell played down the economic impact of Covid-19 on business.
“We are seeing companies struggling after just a few weeks in a pretty bad situation, which should speak to the strength of those small companies that enter this shutdown.”
She said she was concerned that people had started a small business without understanding “how to survive a setback.”
Arden said today he disagreed with the comments.
“We are seeing companies struggling after just a few weeks in a pretty bad situation, which should speak to the strength of those small companies that enter this shutdown.”
She said she was concerned that people had started a small business without understanding “how to survive a setback.”
Random tests
There are still 16 Covid-19 groups across the country.
Yesterday there were 5289 tests, a record. There have been more than 94,000 tests.
Bloomfield said there is more extensive evidence across New Zealand, with a specific focus on Maori and Pasifika.
There will be more testing of targeted groups across the country, he said. That means more random testing.
Vaccines
Ardern disagreed with claims that the government has not been good enough when it comes to implementing fireplace vaccines.
She said older New Zealanders have been prioritized.
“We moved early, we got more vaccines.”
Ardern said he is not trivializing the views of frontline workers, who have been concerned about the implementation of flu vaccines.
Bloomfield said Pharmac moved to secure 400,000 flu vaccines before Covid-19.
He said the Ministry of Health has done more work than usual when it comes to flu vaccines.
He said Kiwis can “be sure” that the government is already actively working on how the government will distribute a Covid-19 vaccine once it becomes available.
When asked if GPs need more funding, Ardern said the government has already provided money for those in this sector.
He added that general practitioners are eligible for the wage subsidy.
When asked about his reaction to reports that front-line health personnel had been intimidated by asking for more PPE equipment, Ardern said it was not acceptable.
She said the government wants frontline workers to have access to all the PPE equipment they need.
“We don’t have a problem with PPE stock.”
Every time a problem arose, the government followed up.
“Please keep giving us those examples so we can remove them.
“We have a health system where workers must speak freely about their concerns.”
Airline staff
Bloomfield said there are strict guidelines for airline personnel who still fly internationally and who maintain air commerce.
The guidelines would limit the possibility of Covid-19 returning to the country.
Bridge Comments
When asked if national leader Simon Bridges was politicizing Covid-19 and the extension of the blockade, Ardern said he was not paying attention to what Bridges was saying.
She said she was “completely focused” on the Government’s Covid-19 response.
Bridges has denied claims that his colleagues in the National Party are trying to expel him as a leader, after a backlash against a social media post criticizing the government’s readiness for Covid-19.
Canadian shooting
Arden said he contacted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to express New Zealand’s condolences after a mass shooting on Sunday.
A 51-year-old man made a rampage in the northern part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Sunday, killing 17 people, including a female police officer. Authorities said the alleged shooter was also dead.
The man was identified as Gabriel Wortman and authorities said he disguised himself as a police officer in uniform at one point and mocked a car to make it look like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser.
He was arrested by the RCMP at a service station in Enfield, Nova Scotia, northwest of downtown Halifax. Police later announced that he was dead.
“This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in the history of our province,” said Nova Scotia Prime Minister Stephen McNeil.
Auckland’s first death
Yesterday, Bloomfield revealed that there were only five new Covid-19 cases in New Zealand, bringing the total number of cases to 1,445.
About 1,006 people have recovered from Covid-19.
He also reported the death of a woman in her 70s, the first in Auckland, who was part of the St Margarets group of hospitals.
He had underlying health conditions, Bloomfield said.
The new low number of Covid-19 cases is encouraging: it has been declining for several days.
And new figures emerge as the Ministry of Health continues to increase its testing regimen.
On Monday, just over 3,000 COVID-19 tests were processed, bringing the new total to just under 90,000.
And so far, none of the randomized tests has returned with a positive reading.
• Covid19.govt.nz – The official government Covid-19 advisory website
