Editorial: Our Covid 19 coronavirus response isn't a level playing field

Chatter returns over the teacups in downtown Whanganui as Covid 19 alert level 2 comes into force on Thursday. Photo / Bevan Conley

EDITORIAL

As the perceived threat from the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic eases during New Zealand's passage into alert level 2, concerns are becoming more audible about inconsistencies in restrictions and increasing powers of the state.

A patron can book a restaurant table to enjoy a hearty plate of foie gras and gratin dauphinoise, but his neighbour cannot take a pew in his church to receive the bread of life and the blood of Christ - certainly if several other worshippers are already seated.

Following an eleventh-hour backtrack from the Government, a tangi may now draw up to 50 mourners together to grieve. But still, a community group of 15 like-minded seniors cannot gather to share fundraising plans for a local teenager with a life-threatening prognosis.

Alert level 2 means we are expected to keep track of where we go, when and with whom. In practice, this too will vary wildly in adherence, given vast differences in resources and commitment. Some workplaces will have ready-made software to monitor employees and clients, while others will rely on workers to note their movements on a piece of paper pinned to a clipboard. Our experience with human nature informs us that some will not bother at all.

Doors have opened to shopping malls, garden centres, hardware stores, some PostShops, barbers and hairdressers - albeit, in many cases with reduced hours. Churches are permitted to open, although the congregation and clergy cannot exceed 10 people.

Opposition Leader Simon Bridges has made some capital from the bespoke rulings, pointing to the inconsistency between 50 people attending a funeral while up to 100 people could file into a cinema to watch a movie.

It's clear the Government has attempted to be pragmatic, however, considering the purpose for gatherings. People are much more likely to maintain social distancing when watching a film than attending the funeral of a loved one, where the compassionate desire to give solace can be overpowering.

Some of the "team of 5 million" - as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has repeatedly called the nation - have also expressed severe reservations with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Bill, which steamed through Parliament under urgency on Wednesday night. This omnibus bill establishes a standalone legal framework for responding to Covid-19 over the next two years, although it could be a shorter time if Covid-19 is brought under control.

The Human Rights Commission described the legislation as a "great failure of our democratic process" and any observer of the law would find it hard to disagree. However, it's clear the Government has heard the rising chorus of questions around the legality of the lockdown and has realised it would need legislative backing should it require to again raise the alert level.

Though comparing restrictions highlights contradictions, and the legislation passed this week is draconian, our best chance of beating this contagion remains in unified efforts to keep our distance, wash our hands and stay home when we feel unwell. We don't need to agree with all the Government's decisions to do this.