Covid 19 coronavirus: lockdown protesters march in Rotorua

A group of protesters unhappy with the government’s current alert levels made their presence felt in Rotorua today.

The protesters gathered at Te Manawa, the intersection of Hinemoa and Tutanekai Sts, in an attempt to gain support for their “anti-blockade” message.

The posters they carried covered a variety of topics including “freedom is essential”, “it’s not about your health, it’s about control”, “pedophilia is the real virus” and “ban 1080”.

Many of the protesters claimed to be supporters of the Advance NZ political party.

One of the organizers, Crystaline Verhagen, said the protest was a freedom march for all of Rotorua.

“It’s against the blockade and it’s about our freedom to be able to choose if we want vaccines, if we want 5G and if we want to be locked up.

“It’s just flu season, there is no need for lockdowns, no need for masks. People are actually killing themselves wearing masks because they are inhaling their own toxins.

“[The Government] They just want us all sick, that’s why they ask us to do it, to get sicker. If the masks work, why should we be separated by two meters? I have not taken medicine for 30 years and we are healthy people, we do not get vaccinated and filter the water. “

He said the public response to the protest had been “very good.”

“Only dumb people who wear masks tell us ‘let’s be real.’

Hubert Verhagen said that his grandfather lived to be 104 years old.

“I asked him how he came to live so long and he said ‘keep smiling and breathing’. Just breathe and smile and be heard.”

Another protester, Jordyn Barbour, said that she and her husband generally sell organic produce at the Rotorua farmers market, which cannot continue under the alert level 2 restrictions.

“These blockages have a financial impact but they also affect people’s mental health. There is unemployment, people cannot survive. This cannot continue, there has to be a better way. We cannot ruin the economy because a bankrupt economy ruins the lives of people. anyway, “he said.

The Health Ministry website says that wearing a mask or covering your face can reduce the risk of people who have Covid-19 transmitting the virus to others.

“They may feel good or have no obvious symptoms. A mask or face covering can help stop the spread of infectious droplets when they speak, laugh, cough, or sneeze. This is known as ‘source control.’

“Masks and face coverings can be helpful if there is a known community transmission and people are close to each other (less than two meters apart). For example, in stores or other confined or crowded settings.”

The website also says that anyone who has been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case of Covid-19 should isolate themselves.

“If you have been told that you are a close contact, you must self-isolate for 14 days from the last date of contact with the case while it was considered infectious.

“You will be asked to self-isolate at home or, in some specific circumstances (for example, a dependent is a confirmed case) in a managed facility.”