September 13 2021
Auckland will remain at level 4 for another week, until 11.59pm on September 21. Level 2 will remain in place for the rest of New Zealand for another week, and Cabinet will review these settings on Monday next week.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has offered a much-needed carrot as Auckland succumbs to another week locked down - a classic Kiwi summer of festivals.
Getting there, though, means putting the hard mahi in now, she says, stamping out all community cases, and reaching the highest rate of vaccinations across the country as is possible.
Her comments have been welcomed by one concert promoter, and backed by an epidemiologist who says we should start thinking about a "no jab, no concert" possibility.
"We will find a way to make sure, regardless of the circumstances globally and domestically, that we are able to have the events that make New Zealand summers," Ardern said today, shortly after announcing Auckland would spend another week at level 4 to try and stamp out any remaining community cases.
"It is part of who we are. It is about people's livelihoods but also about our summers and what makes them fantastic for people, particularly for young people.
"What has been so successful about our approach for the most part is that, yes there have been disruptions but consistently we have been able to hold large events. I am very committed to be able to do that."
Ardern's comments come as uncertainty seeped through the music industry amid the current Delta outbreak that has rapidly reached 955 cases.
Organisers of the country's largest festival, Rhythm & Vines, held in Gisborne over New Year's Eve, said on Friday they were delaying announcing the line-up.
The event was already sold out, but due to Delta their ability and confidence to bring in overseas artists was being impacted, they said.
Brent Eccles, promoter and president of New Zealand Promoters' Association, said Ardern had been "very helpful" last year and it was promising to hear her again indicate that the Government would be supportive.
The industry had been keeping a close eye on Delta and was "well aware" of the difficulties it presented, he said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government will be doing all it can to allow summer festivals to happen. Photo / Mark Mitchell
That meant they were preparing for ongoing requirements like scanning and new measures like vaccine passports, which could make enforcing masks less crucial.
"If everyone attending is vaccinated it should be OK [without masks] and people feeling confident.
"There will be some protocols to work through, though, about how to deal with those who are vaccinated and those who are not. But today feels like the first time we can see where they are going with this and obviously are trying to have a summer for us."
Other issues included securing limited MIQ spots for performers, under further pressure due to the current outbreak, which raised ethical concerns too with many New Zealanders still unable to get home.
Eccles said given promoters were unable to get insurance in case of cancellation due to lockdowns, he was supportive of the Government looking into a number of possibilities.
Asked about insurance for event organisers, Ardern said they were working towards being able to give promoters the certainty needed that would not be an issue.
Auckland University epidemiologist Professor Rod Jackson said as long as there was "absolutely" no Covid in the community, a classic summer could still be on the cards.
"But as long as Covid is in Auckland they are a no-go, they are super-spreading events. Delta is simply like another form of Covid - we should not even be calling it Covid.
"Before, an outbreak uncontained might reach 30 in the same time Delta would reach 1000. It completely changes the rules."
Consequently, Jackson said the prospects of a summer of unconstrained festivals should be dependent on the highest vaccination rates possible.
Jackson Pfizer vaccine was seen to reduce transmissibility by about 70 per cent, and hospitalisation and death by over 90 per cent. This meant less pressure on the health systems in case of an outbreak.
National recently announced a target of 70 to 75 per cent, but Jackson said that was "not even in the ballpark" for Delta.
"With the previous variant we were thinking 70 per cent of the eligible population could reach herd immunity, but under Delta we should be going for at least 95 per cent.
"Even at 90 per cent that leaves 400,000 people unvaccinated, and if they are all concert-goers we are screwed.
"Provided we have the supplies there is no reason we can't get to 95 per cent by the end of November."
In some places overseas with high vaccination rates that are looking to loosen restrictions, such as Scotland, vaccination passports have been introduced to attend large events.
Provided New Zealand once again eliminated the virus the situation here would be different, but Jackson said the Government should still be looking into vaccination passports for large "super-spreader" potential events.
There was a still a risk of running these events with cases turning up at the borders in MIQ, which was how the latest outbreak began, but Jackson said that's where the other tool would still be needed.
"There are two ways to deal with Delta: lockdowns and vaccinations. But we cannot keep locking down so we need to get those vaccination rates up as high as possible."
