Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters speaks to media on his way to the debating chamber in Parliament. Photo / Kevin Stent, pool
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters speaks to media on his way to the debating chamber in Parliament. Photo / Kevin Stent, pool
EDITORIAL
The increasing calls to immediately shift New Zealand's Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic alert to level 1 are becoming common across the political spectrum, with the exception of the Labour-led cabal which is, as it happens, in charge of the decision.
Answering questions yet again yesterday after 10, now 11,days with tests failing to find any new Covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the decision to move to level 1 within 48 hours could be confirmed at next Monday's Cabinet meeting.
Later yesterday afternoon she confirmed she had discussed the move with Cabinet. Ardern said she had always been clear that June 22 was the latest date to decide to move to level 1, assuming no evidence of community transmission.
Ardern has said she spoke with director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield at the weekend about moving to level 1 next week, according to MediaWorks. He had, she said, agreed that numbers were exceeding expectations.
The situation is ideal fodder for the chiding finger-wagger of New Zealand politics, NZ First leader and (it's sometimes difficult to remember) Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. He took particular aim at epidemiologist Professor David Skegg, who has urged caution and warned of people playing politics over the transition.
Peters said it was "all very well to be in an ivory tower, cushioned by employment" when thousands were out of jobs and businesses were struggling to survive.
Act leader David Seymour also joined calls for the country to move to level 1, sentiments shared by National Party leader Todd Muller and his colleague Judith Collins on social media.
This has been further stoked by scenes of close mingling at Black Lives Matter protests around the country, after the United States death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody.
The experts who brought us to this dream scenario are adamant we should complete the period of time the virus could remain undetected. Two 14-day incubation periods with no evidence of new cases would provide a high level of certainty the virus had been stamped out.
University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker told RNZ: "There's growing consensus we're approaching elimination at this point, but complacency is the enemy."
It should be remembered also that numbers being tested have been dropping. On Sunday, laboratories completed 626 tests, a far cry from the record 3446 tests undertaken on April 2.
But even Bloomfield conceded yesterday that there is no evidence of community transmission in this country.
The pain of businesses, particularly hospitality and tourism, is well known and should be properly acknowledged by the Government.
Many Kiwis are acting as if we're at level 1 already.
The Government proved how quickly it can move when responding to the escalating wave of Covid-19 cases in March. It is surprising Ardern hasn't shown the same willingness to act and bring forward the decision on alert level 1 even earlier.
