[ad_1]
Wearing masks will be mandatory on Auckland public transport and on all domestic flights as Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins warns that there could be more cases of Covid-19 in the area.
But experts say the rule should be expanded to include all centers, while Auckland and Wellington, which have active cases, should move to level 1.5.
Hipkins’ plans to curb the spread of the virus in Auckland, announced on Friday, include a public health order for Auckland.
The order will go to the cabinet for approval on Monday and will make the use of masks mandatory in the city.
READ MORE:
* Covid-19: After MIQ Breaches, Experts Want ‘Swiss Cheese’ Fit
* Covid-19: Wear a mask, track movements, stay home if you are sick for the long weekend as the ‘virus takes no breaks’
* Covid-19: two new cases of coronavirus, both in controlled isolation
Lawrence Smith / Stuff
Commuters in Auckland wait for a bus wearing a mask.
“We ask everyone who uses public transport in Auckland to continue to wear a mask,” said Hipkins.
“We don’t know how many cases there might be out there, so we must continue to act with great caution.”
He also encouraged people to wear masks in public spaces where social distancing was not possible, for example at large public events.
But it wasn’t just Auckland that needed to be cautious, said physicist and disease shaper Shaun Hendy. “Particularly those [centres] that have positive cases.
“We need to be more cautious. It would be nice to see everyone wearing masks on public transport. “
LAWRENCE SMITH / Things
People queue up at the pop-up Covid-19 testing station on Auckland’s High St after the latest community case.
His comments were backed by University of Otago epidemiologist Dr. Amanda Kvalsvig, who called for masks to become a part of daily life across the country.
“The time for gradual and fragmented approval of masks has passed. Wearing masks should be part of our daily life everywhere in New Zealand, not just reactively when there is an outbreak, ”he said.
“Otherwise, we are all at risk of the next outbreak that we do not yet know about.”
But Michael Baker and Nick Baker, epidemiologists at the University of Otago, went further.
They said Auckland and Wellington should move to level 1.5, a concept discussed for several months for regions experiencing an outbreak.
You would see the use of masks in public transportation, as well as in healthcare settings and care facilities. Other aspects could include stopping travel in and out of regions experiencing an outbreak.
“I think we need a well-defined level 1.5 situation that applies to higher transmission risk situations, like the one we currently have in Auckland and probably Wellington as well,” Baker said.
“This level could include a requirement for the mandatory use of masks in closed door environments such as public transport and airplanes, as well as in some closed places.
“There could also be a requirement for mandatory scanning in some indoor locations. Having this level would make it much clearer what we should do in these higher risk situations ”.
Wilson echoed the calls, saying that wearing masks was even more necessary as people returned from countries with high infection rates.
“The masks protect other people and the wearer,” he said.
“There have been eight border failures since the beginning of August.”
But Hipkins said the risk was not high enough to warrant changes in alert levels.
“We ask people to take additional precautionary measures, such as the use of masks in public transport and large public events, and to be vigilant in finding their contacts,” he said.
The government would analyze whether other areas of the country, particularly those with international airports and managed isolation facilities, should have mandatory masking, but there was no specific deadline for this, he added.
Wellington has two cases: Case B and Case C, who had dinner at Little Penang on The Terrace last Friday. They are linked to Case A, a defense force worker who contracted the virus at Jet Park, a quarantine facility in Auckland.
Anyone in the restaurant between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. with Covid-19 symptoms is urged to get tested.
Meanwhile, four new cases of the virus were reported on Friday, all in a controlled manner.
One was a newcomer from the Philippines and the other three were historical cases that were classified as recovered.
Hipkins also implored companies to allow employees to stay home if they are sick.
There was government support for people who did not have access to sick leave, he added.
“It is in our interest that our CBD and businesses remain open,” he said. “We must all take steps to keep ourselves and others safe.”
