Letters to the editor: Blase attitude to Covid health a concern

The blase attitude towards social-distancing has one reader concerned. Photo / Getty Images

I made a rare visit to a local supermarket a few days ago, wearing a mask for the first time, and I proceeded to uplift my required items as swiftly as possible.

Sadly, my experience of fellow mask-wearers was similar to Maurice Mckeown's observations (Letters, August 26).

I saw two mask-wearing women leaving the store and also one store employee.

Customers generally had no thought of social distancing and the Covid epidemic seemed to be totally absent from their minds.

A school-age child darting everywhere from his trolley-pushing mother blocked my entry to the aisles and, after easing myself through one of his sporadic, transient gaps, I was confronted by mindless people barricading the aisles with centrally parked trolleys and their own bodies positioned to cause a choke-hold on the way through and one aisle was a complete log-jam of carts and bodies and had to be avoided.

My access to a required product was blocked by a woman inches from the shelf who was oscillating from side to side, studying items, whilst apoplectic with indecision and unaware of distancing and the needs of others.

Judging from what I experienced, I would think we are extremely lucky in this country to have avoided a more extreme outbreak but, as far as the present Auckland outbreak is concerned, sadly I believe the jury is still out.

David Sykes
Bethlehem

Support for Māori wards

I am in total support of Māori wards on our council (News, August 25).

It honours the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles of partnership, participation and protection for Māori and non-Māori to live together as one nation.

Given the minority population that Māori make up, it ensures their voice is heard.

Māori have so much skill and talent to bring to the table alongside non-Māori in which together we will enhance the council, community outcomes and bi-culturalism, which is seriously needed given the dominant mono-cultural opinions and policies that, in my view, prevent this.

I am all for bi-culturalism in our council and communities. Only good can come from this.

Let's not delay and let's unite for better results.

We have nothing to lose but negative statistics.

Kalleisha Kawerau-Wade
Mount Maunganui

Complete figures needed

I note that correspondent Peter Axelrad (Letters, August 26) writes that the only information he has obtained from Tauranga City Council about the Mount trial cycleway was that, "The council did, however, have the approximate number of cyclists using Marine Parade, which increased by 277 per cent during lockdown''.

I think 227 per cent is a large percentage increase but gives no reference to the base number.

For example, 10 cyclists increased by 277 per cent equals 38 cyclists (10+28).

Are we doing this for 28 extra cyclists?

A Gifford
Tauranga

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