Covid 19 coronavirus editorial: Unvaccinated port workers inconceivable

The Rio de la Plata, anchored near Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / George Novak

EDITORIAL:

The Government would have been excused a wry smile at last after a Port of Tauranga worker, who had earlier returned an inconclusive Covid-19 test outcome, finally tested negative for the virus.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier confirmed 110 swabs had been taken, 109 of which returned negative results and one person needed to be retested.

The Ministry of Health subsequently announced the person who was retested had returned a negative result.

The mass testing was required after 11 of 21 crew on the Rio De La Plata container ship off Tauranga tested positive for Covid after more than 100 portside workers had unloaded the vessel.

It seems likely the lack of infection is a result of little close contact with the 11 infected crew of the Rio De La Plata. Aerosol transmission is still suspect number one in conveying the virus.

The remarkable escape, touch wood, once again is a reminder of how close we are to succumbing to the pandemic. We are not so securely isolated with the virus far, far away. More than 13,000 Delta infections have occurred just over 2000km away in Suva.

The Rio De La Plata incident has led to understandable consternation about the lack of vaccinations completed among border-facing personnel. Just 10 per cent of the potentially exposed Tauranga workers had received two vaccine doses.

We're not quite the kind of nation which routinely rounds up targeted sectors and forcibly vaccinates. It would be much more preferable to allow the dignity of consent.

Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins says misinformation on the virus and the vaccine are likely to have caused some workers to defer appointments for the jabs.

However, we have health and safety conditions to protect workers in all hazardous situations, and this situation is clearly so for our vulnerable.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it will be mandatory for such workers to be vaccinated by the end of September. Undoubtedly, this edict has taken too long to be issued and more attention should have been paid to vaccination rates at our ports. Stepped-up daily saliva testing is also overdue.

An independent panel of experts, chaired by epidemiologist Sir David Skegg, yesterday painted a stark reminder of our situation.

The papers sketch out an uncertain future in a world still menaced by Covid-19, where overseas travel is limited to the fully vaccinated and herd immunity is unattainable, making public health measures an important part of the elimination puzzle as border restrictions are eased.

Herd immunity, the report says, isn't possible with the Delta variant.

Still, the report charts some steps out of blanket isolation, and the higher ratio of vaccinated New Zealanders the better when that may happen.

There are still some - academics, politicians, business leaders - calling for an easing of preventative measures and "opening up". The Delta variant is a very good rejoinder to these calls.

Variants, with more transmissability and impunity to vaccines, are generated in large outbreaks. Why would we want to present the virus with an opportunity to do so on our shores?