New Zealanders aged 65+ and those with underlying health conditions or disabilities are the third group to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Photo / AP
Auckland Grey Power is delighted to hear that senior people and those with disabilities will be eligible to receive the vaccination against the Covid virus as soon as possible.
Most of us have had vaccinations before to prevent various diseases. This will be
just the same.
If people can attend their local medical centres where they are known to the doctors and nursing staff, this will reassure people that they will receive the best of care.
Covid-19 and its variants are deadly. We are fortunate that vaccinations have been developed so quickly.
The vaccinations will allow people to travel more freely to visit relatives, grandchildren and friends overseas.
Business will be able to return to normal.
The sooner we all get it done, the better. For our country. And better for everyone.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words but the photo of the week (Weekend Herald, March 13) of the felled tree in Canal Rd, Avondale, needs more words than that.
That tree was a mature titoki that was growing under the drip line of a notable tree and, as such should have been protected.
The 75-plus police persons present at the site at the time did not prevent this unlawful act being carried out. When will this type of carnage end in our city and trees that are supposed to be protected be safe from the developers' chainsaws?
I am at a loss to understand how this could happen and why our government is not moving with urgency to protect our tree heritage in this country.
Will we have any mature trees left standing by the time they act?
Colleen Stairmand, Avondale.
Saturday's full-page announcement of the Government's vaccination plan (Weekend Herald, March 13) does not contain a single date for any action.
Last year, we were promised early access to a vaccine once a safe product became available. Clearly this is not the case, as there is talk of not starting to vaccinate seniors until the second half of the year.
England and Israel have already vaccinated millions of their people. England is vaccinating 400,000 per day.
Why is our proposed rate of vaccination so much slower? In the meantime, we risk infection, and the border with Australia remains closed.
Janie Weir, Newmarket.
Your correspondent letter of the week (Weekend Herald, March 13) and some other correspondents, are blaming the Government for some people not having the willpower to resist sugary drinks and other things containing sugar.
Unless you are deaf, dumb and blind, you must know what sugar will do. It is not only sugar. Go into any cafe and you will see grossly overweight people stuffing down large meals.
I know some people will put on weight more easily than others, so it all comes back to willpower and common sense. You cannot blame the Government for that or legislate for it. All these fast-food outlets are acting within the law, it is not compulsory to buy what they produce.
Before you blame the Government, take a good look at yourselves.
J Longson, Kawerau.
Steve Braunias, a true "straight-shooting wordsmith", had us all in hysterics as he called out Hosking's antics to a tee (Weekend Herald, March 13).
He did forget the outlaw's better half sidekick screaming for vengeance midweek.
The Hawkesby gang are not giving up on shooting down Sheriff Ardern.
Here's hoping the saga continues.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest.
This has been the most miserable summer ever. I am a massive cricket fan and, although I didn't have Sky, I had access to it through friends and local pubs, etc, when I wanted to watch.
This year my summer of cricket has been limited to the four games so far shown live on TV1.
I would like to know what percentage of cricket fans have seen any other cricket this summer. My gut feeling is the number who have viewed any other than the free TV1 games has been the lowest ever. And this is at a time when the Black Caps are looking exciting, with a depth greater than ever. This should have been the year that cricket expanded its viewer support, not reduced it to a few thousand internet watchers.
I blame NZ Cricket for not looking after their supporters. Spark was just taking an opportunity to get into this market but I feel it has backfired on them both.
But if this contract runs its course of six years there will hardly be any cricket supporters left.
Shame on you, NZ Cricket, for putting dollars above the needs of your supporters.
If I am wrong let Spark publish its Spark Sport subscriber numbers so we can see just how many people are watching cricket now.
Geoff Minchin, Kawakawa.
It was so rewarding to be exposed to the current situation in New Zealand, as described in the Bruce Cotterill article "Lockdown: Cruel to be kind - or just cruel?" (Weekend Herald, March 13).
This concise and clear message needs to be repeated in any possible forum in New Zealand. Cotterill and the segment of the population he represents should be supported by everyone who is taking New Zealand's interests at heart and can see through the massive scaremongering and politicking on the topic that is currently taking place.
Johan Kritzinger, Henderson.
It is a mark of a profoundly sick society when we exalt the mean-spirited, while, at the same time fail appallingly those born into disadvantage. Andrew Montgomery, Remuera.
I find it surprising that our Prime Minister was not part of 4 leaders QUAD meeting. Maybe they realise where her leanings lie with China. Mahendra Kumar, Ōtāhuhu.
Being in the royal family, Harry and Meghan had the chance to do real good in the world. They have squandered it all to sit at home brooding and alienating his family by appearing on inflammatory interviews. Rosemary Balme, Howick.
Rather than saying, "We're taking out the trash," wouldn't it be more accurate for Australian politicians to say: "We're throwing our trash over our neighbour's fence"? Doug Hannan, Mt Maunganui.
At Countdown this week, I purchased some kiwifruit that looked large and juicy. I came home to peel them and most had a label "Italian Kiwifruit – RK Growers". Not only were they not NZ produce, they were hard and sour. John Sumner, Mt Eden.
To all correspondents who think recreational scuba divers breathe oxygen. If you do, you will die. Scuba divers breathe air. Al Weeks, Ōrewa.
Watching the helmeted Emirates Team NZ beavering away, I couldn't help think of the children's adventure series Power Rangers. Anne Martin, Helensville.
Hope springs eternal in every Warrior fan's breast, still how are their chances of reaching the playoffs with the NRL refs continuing to give the benefit of any doubt to the Australian opposition? Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
My hat goes off to the guy who painted the lines before each race. Rod McMahon, Birkenhead.
Has Jacinda of Arc-land liberated her city from the British viral invasion? Arch Thomson, Mt Wellington.
Perhaps Peter Dutton is right but they don't come close to the Australian trash we have locked up in Auckland who murdered 51 New Zealand residents in 2019. Terry Jones, Auckland Central.
Should I be stunned by the constant use of our latest buzz word, "stunning"? John Norris, Whangamatā.