Letters: Mistakes in Covid response, lockdown fatigue and Auckland weather

Should Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern apologise to the Botany KFC worker who claims she has been unfairly criticised? Photo / Mark Mitchell, File

Opinion

Piling on criticism
The demand from the KFC rule breaker that the Prime Minister apologises to her personally, because she thought the messaging wasn't "clear enough" tells you everything you need to know the how and the why certain people think the rules don't apply to them.
Was this person in a coma for the past month ? Their sibling attended a hot spot of infection, Papatoetoe High School. This would have been plastered over all social media. 99.9 per cent of affected people understood this and went home and isolated.
The adults who went for a walk on the weekend concerned must have known the facts as well, otherwise they would have disclosed it earlier when asked.
Where is the personal responsibility ? A large group piles on the Government and the authorities when there is a breach. Yes there will be mistakes made and improvements can always be made. But for certain politicians, and talkback hosts with agendas, to use this as an excuse to score political points and generally have a massive whinge is not helpful to resolving the problem.
Peter Simpson, Mairangi Bay.

Point missed
Through this whole latest Covid cases of who-said-what, I think the bigger picture is being lost.
The bigger picture is the mother of the KFC worker met another mother when Auckland was in level three lockdown.
What part of staying in your own bubble and having no contact with other people does this family not understand?
Jacqui Furniss, New Plymouth.

Lockdown fatigue
Quoting your editorial (NZ Herald, March 4), I see complacency as a much deeper problem I call Covid fatigue.
Especially here in greater Auckland, we have been in and out of level 3 so many times.
This fatigue is hitting many small businesses, causing them to close down and go bankrupt. Never mind the massive road closures throughout Auckland caused by new railworks and major roading improvements.
These level 3 notifications just about all come from a certain lower economic part of Auckland. Not all these failures to conform are deliberate but many are caused through the sheer lack of understanding, despite owning the latest cellphone and computer technology.
The sooner there are enough vaccination shots made available to this section of Auckland, the safer we all will be. The next priority should be the aged, especially in rest homes and retirement villages, then the rest of the population.
Eric Strickett, Henderson.

Outlook fine
I love Auckland's weather, it always comes to the party.
It always keeps us in the comfort zone between 4 and 28 degrees, rarely straying.
Just when we're to be saddled with water restrictions and the reservoirs ran dry the dark clouds rolled in and we were saved the fate that awaited us.
To top it all, when level 3 lockdown survival mode restricted us from going anywhere outside Auckland, the weather was so goddam awful we wouldn't have gone anywhere anyway.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.

Too fast, too much
As if it wasn't already difficult for temporary visa holders to enter New Zealand to reunite with their families, now comes another stumbling block - an astronomical increase in the MIQ fees.
The increase is not the issue. The issue is the amount of the increase and the notice period given.
A 78 per cent hike in fees (from $3100 to $5520) at such short notice is simply too much for a temporary visa holder to bear.
Justin Sobion, Mt Eden.

Opposition luxury
Is the Judith Collins who is now advocating that the full wage/salary be paid to all of those who are affected by lockdown, the same Judith Collins who stated pre-election that a National Government would not support a minimum living wage?
Oh, the luxury of being in Opposition when one is able to make all manner of generous gestures that one would definitely not make when in Government.
P Sommerville, Waiheke Island.

Inquiry unnecessary
Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, March 3) calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand's Covid response. What planet is he on?
New Zealand's Covid death rate is 5 per million and, at 189th out of 217 countries, is one of the lowest in the World.
New Zealand ranks first out of the 37 OECD countries in having the lowest death rate per million people.
This alone vindicates New Zealand's response. What better yardstick is there than human lives saved?
John Burns, Mt Eden.

Worthy of trust
Our Prime Minister places trust in our team of five million to "do the right thing" and self isolate.
Do we trust our people not to speed, drink-drive, text-drive, avoid paying tax, assault others and commit all sorts of other crimes?
No, we know that some people can't be trusted, and we have a system in place to punish them.
Why aren't people who flout Covid rules, and thereby risk far more lives than other miscreants, also punished?
W Hartson, Kohimarama.

Less 26%
While I feel that agencies managing Council services often don't seem accountable, I'm wondering whether an explanation should be forthcoming why the incoming CEO is being paid $200,000 less than predecessor, Raveen Jaduram?
Given Jon Lamonte's past experience, I am genuinely curious why Mr Jaduram's services were so much better recompensed, and for so long.
Ellie Carruthers, Eden Terrace.

Government expansion
There has been quite a lot of recent debate concerning the establishment of Māori wards under urgency by the Labour Government.
And the compulsory removal, at the same time, of the democratic rights of New Zealanders to have their say in any of that process.
I can only quote a piece of wisdom from a former American President:
"As Government expands, liberty contracts."
This present Labour Government should take note.
Michael Walker, Blockhouse Bay.

Cheque mate
I think I have discovered why the major trading banks are in such a hurry to phase out cheques.
I use an ASB cheque account to operate a small business. Annual bank charges are between $55 and $60. Recently, I changed to Fastnet Business banking with the same bank and now find the annual charges will exceed $360.
When I queried the charges by phone, I was told to take it up with my local branch office, which has just closed together with other nearby branches.
What a nice little earner for ASB and Australia .
J N Smith, Howick.

Partial justice
The government manager whose name has been suppressed since November 2017, and remains so after his lawyer Ron Mansfield successfully lodged an appeal, confirms that the law is an ass.
Status should never be an issue. The shaming that goes with naming is an important aspect of impartial justice for all.
M Tallon, Takapuna.

Say my name
A parent has complained (NZ Herald, March 2) that her child's teacher has not pronounced the child's name correctly. The teacher shortened the name as the full name was apparently difficult to say. As a teacher I have faced this problem a number of times over my 35 years of teaching. Some names when pronounced correctly sounded the same as English swear words so roll call could be challenging. Some were just too long or contained too many consonants for me to pronounce easily and I always prefaced any roll call with the simple statements that I would do the best that I could.
I know that a mispronounced name can be annoying. Many students found Fitzgerald difficult to pronounce. Apparently the "tz" sound is difficult in many languages. Some of the mispronunciations were actually funny but I tried not to laugh at my own name.
People should do their best and that we should be willing to accept these efforts. Teachers already find the job challenging and most find parent feedback/complaints only add to the stress. The world as a whole needs to relax in these times of difficulty.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Aus.

Short & sweet

On spreading
Covertly spreading a more infectious UK Covid strain while Covid positive earned just a frustrated rebuke; coughing overtly in a supermarket while Covid negative earned a prison sentence. Clearly our leaders are far more tolerant now. Steve Russell, Hillcrest.

Never in the field of humanity has so much damage been done by so few. Derek Cunningham, Gulf Harbour.

Whatever the unresolved problem, the Government tells us "we're working on that". I'm not yet convinced by that assurance, but I'm working on it. Keith Berman, Remuera.

On Prebble
Richard Prebble's column should be published in the politics or entertainment section rather than the business section. E J Bax, Epsom.

Even given the "poet's licence" afforded to Richard Prebble, it is a bit of a stretch to say "The Government closed investigative magazines". Even without a Royal Commission, the fact is the owners of the investigative magazines closed them down. Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.

On Destiny
God has blessed Hannah Tamaki with a new Tesla when she didn't really need another car. Maybe they could loan out some of their surplus fleet to those of their flock currently sleeping in less comfortable vehicles. Evelyn Ross, Fairview Heights.

On checkpoints
Can anyone explain to me the logic in stopping people who want to come from a "safe" area into a Level 3 lockdown area – once they are at their destination they are going to have to isolate anyway. Fiona Downes, Hobsonville.