[ad_1]
The official response to new community cases of Covid-19 may appear more relaxed than previous outbreaks. But the lack of intensity is simply a reflection of progress made to improve the public health system, says one expert.
Two new community cases, both workers stationed at the Sudima Hotel’s isolation facility in Christchurch, have not led to localized closures, as happened in Auckland after the August group emerged.
“This is another example of the system working well to protect our border,” said Director General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield in Tuesday’s Covid-19 update.
While nothing has changed on a national scale, an investigation into the source of infections could result in changes at the facility level, as it has in the past.
Hannah Peters / Getty Images
The country’s response to Covid-19 is not waning, but New Zealanders’ attitudes toward the virus could be.
READ MORE:
* Covid-19: Second confirmed community case for Christchurch, linked to isolation facility
* Case of the Covid-19 community of Christchurch a health worker in an isolation center
* ‘Devastated’ – Locked up Kiwis unable to return home at Christmas because managed seclusion hotels are full
* Covid-19: Christchurch case labeled ‘border fault’ by experts
“All the time, whenever something like this happens, we look and say ‘is there anything we can do to build an extra layer of protection?’ And then we take action on it,” incoming Covid-19 response Minister Chris said. Hipkins.
While the response may appear more relaxed from the outside, it is simply a representation of these actions that have been in place over the past 11 months.
“It may seem that it is more [relaxed] but the response has gotten much more sophisticated and better, and that is a positive sign for New Zealand, ”said Professor Michael Baker, a public health expert at the University of Otago.
Instead of the country’s official response wavering, Baker believes New Zealanders may be loosening up too much. “For the public, rule number one remains the same: If you have a cold or the flu, don’t share it … call your doctor or Healthline and get tested.”
Hipkins reminded New Zealanders that the complicated virus can, from time to time, spread even with the best protection measures. “We need to be able to respond quickly.”
A rapid response is more important, at this stage, than an intense response due to the low risk of active infection in the community, according to Dr. Arindam Basu, associate professor and public health expert at the University of Canterbury.
“The answer is different because we now know infection patterns that we didn’t know before,” he said.
Knowledge of the virus and its transmission has improved since the beginning of the year.
“Who would have thought that a lift button, something as simple as a lift button, could be a source of transmission, so more protective measures were put in place after that,” Hipkins said of the Rydges staff member. that got infected from an elevator.
Thanks to improvements made to testing skills and capabilities, the speed and effectiveness of contact tracing, strict border controls and the promotion of individual health measures, Baker believes lockdowns could be a thing of the past.
Supplied
Professor Michael Baker from the University of Otago said the importance of having a science-based approach has been one of the most important lessons from the pandemic.
“We have moved to be able to detect and respond to incursions or border failures, or outbreaks or clusters … in a much more effective way, and that is to detect them early with tests, which is now much more strategic, [and] much more efficient contact tracing [systems].
“That really means that hopefully we will never need a heavy blocking again.”
Basu viewed the lockdown as an extreme step that should be used in conjunction with other public health measures.
“The blockade is nothing more than an arrow in the quiver. Good infrastructure and public health messaging is needed, ”he said. This lines up with what health officials have been saying for months: all promoted public health measures are simply individual tools in a toolbox.
Both public health experts thought that the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of listening to experts both in New Zealand and around the world.
“Covid-19 is manageable … with basic public health measures, and if you listen to public health specialists, it is manageable,” Basu said.
Baker added: “You need … a good scientific basis to give you advice on this strategy, and then you need good political leadership and a very functional public sector to implement that direction.”
