Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Mark Mitchelll
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Mark Mitchelll
New Zealanders' trust in the Ministry of Health and Government to manage the Covid-19 pandemic is weakening.
A recent Horizon Research poll found trust in the Ministry of Health and Government to manage the Covid-19 pandemic is at 82 per cent, down from 91 per cent during April.
The recent poll found 64 per cent of New Zealanders still "totally" trust the Government and Ministry of Health, down 15 per cent from April's poll.
Eighteen per cent of those surveyed have "somewhat trust" in the Government and Ministry of Health.
Overall trust runs highest at 91 per cent among the oldest and one of the potentially most vulnerable age groups, those aged 75 or older.
There is above average overall trust in all age groups except those aged 55 to 64 years (78 per cent trust, 21 per cent distrust), and 18-24 years (80 per cent trust, 17 per cent distrust).
Overall trust combines results for "totally", "mostly" and "somewhat" trust. Overall distrust combines results for "somewhat", "mostly" and "totally" distrust.
Globally, the Government has been praised for its efforts to contain the virus.
That includes praise from American singer and actress Barbra Streisand, who took to Twitter to praise Jacinda Ardern.
We need more women in charge of public health. Jacinda Arden, the PM in New Zealand, which has had only 22 deaths, had NO new cases in that island nation in 83 days.
Streisand suggested more countries should consider electing female leaders to be in charge of public health, judging by the success New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has had in the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
"We need more women in charge of public health. Jacinda Arden [sic], the PM in New Zealand, which has had only 22 deaths, had NO new cases in that island nation in 83 days," Streisand tweeted.
Overseas media has also been quick to praise our "team of five million".
The New York Times said: "Ardern has been praised internationally for her approach to New Zealand's outbreak, which was among the most stringent in the world. Her live video updates on Facebook, streamed from her own home, offered a relatable understanding of the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on the lives of New Zealanders, but a firm resolve to eradicate the disease from the country.
"Her approach focused on framing the effort of the nation as one of cooperation, often referring to her fellow New Zealanders as a 'team of five million' tasked with keeping each other healthy."
