Covid 19 coronavirus: there is light at the end of New Zealand’s Covid tunnel, but there is still a long way to go

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All New Zealanders can “feel like there’s light at the end of the tunnel” when it comes to fighting the pandemic.

But Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins also warns that the tunnel is “still very long.”

It’s a sentiment shared by many across the country, but particularly those in Auckland who are experiencing their fourth lockdown.

Many companies are “frustrated” with the fluctuation between alert levels, something that BusinessNZ CEO Kirk Hope said is having dire consequences for many companies.

And there is a “groundhog day” feel for many students in New Zealand’s largest city, according to the president of the Auckland Secondary Principals Association, Steven Hargreaves.

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Students, he said, are “really out of school for being out of school.”

But as Auckland nears what is expected to be the end of this lockdown period, Mayor Phil Goff has a message for Auckland residents: “Stay the course.”

“With the vaccine launch underway, there is high hope, but for now we just have to move on.

New Zealand is still a few months away from a comprehensive nationwide vaccination drive, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying it will start “halfway” through 2021 and Hipkins saying it will be “some time” before there is a significant expansion. of the program. .

“We will still have to make the necessary arrangements over the next year until we get to the point where we have extensive vaccine coverage,” he said yesterday.

So far, more than 9,400 people have received vaccinations, all border and MIQ workers.

Another 65,000 doses arrived earlier this week, meaning there are 200,000 vaccines available nationwide.

But in the meantime, New Zealand remains vulnerable to outbreaks and changes in alert level.

“While I am hopeful that we will see fewer outbreaks in the next year, the risk remains significant and more outbreaks are likely,” said University of Otago epidemiologist Amanda Kvalsvig.

“As we’re seeing right now, it only takes one less-than-simple outbreak in the community to cause a major disruption.”

This time, that “less than straightforward” outbreak occurred as a result of people ignoring health advice from officials.

Those are: a 21-year-old student who went to the gym and college when he should have been isolated, and his mother who broke the Level 3 restrictions to go for a walk with her friend in another bubble.

As it turned out, her friend was the mother of an already infected family.

Although epidemiologists such as Siouxsie Wiles have said that putting Auckland at alert level 3 was the right move, Kirk Hope said companies are feeling a growing sense of frustration moving between alert levels.

Auckland Council economic research shows that, on average, Auckland loses 200 jobs every day it is locked up.

“There is a growing sense of frustration, but companies are still doing their part,” Hope said.

He added that business leaders and owners will keep a close eye on the government, in terms of what it does to prevent further lockdowns from occurring.

In addition to this, there will be a focus on what will happen next, how long it will take for the vaccination campaign to be implemented, and how that may affect any future alert level changes.

“People are willing to play their role, but it would get a change if people saw that there are ways to stop the alert level. [increases, which weren’t taken]. “

Steven Hargreaves, who is also a principal at Macleans College, said many students appreciate that this is a global pandemic and are playing their part.

“We need to be out of school and stay home. As much as we may not like it, we are taking a larger view that we all have to do our part.”

But there is a feeling that many students have a “here we go again” feeling.

Meanwhile, there was some good news yesterday: There were no new community cases of Covid-19 for the third day in a row.

This despite the fact that health officials processed more than 16,000 tests on Monday.
But Hipkins was careful not to get too excited about the number.

“I think we are still in the critical period where we are waiting to see all the test results from all the relevant close and casual contacts to come back.”

However, the Health Ministry was unable to provide the Herald with information on how many close contacts from the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) or Hunter’s Plaza gym have been tested so far.

Hipkins said the government will seek to see a more complete picture of this data “before we can breathe any kind of relief.”

Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said these latest cases constitute an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to his alert level recommendations for the cabinet tomorrow.

Additional reporting by Julia Gabel.