There are still challenges ahead as the community moves into Delta level 2, writes Russell Bell. Photo / Bevan Conley
Opinion:
In May last year I wrote an article that talked about the transition from level 3 to level 2 lockdown. As I write this, it is Tuesday, the community is in countdown mode to 11.59pm when the level will change – except of course for Auckland, which remains
at the highest level 4.
Back in 2020, level 2 felt distinct to 3 and 4, and I am sure this time will be no different. However, this time level 2 comes with new restrictions or "Delta level 2" as it is being called. So, it definitely won't feel at all like the normality that preceded this rematch with our ever-mutating invisible enemy. Some of the changes I agree with, others are possibly overkill, and some restrictions that possibly could have been useful have not been made at all.
Quite how businesses must enforce mandatory mask wearing, and yet schools are voluntary, doesn't really compute with me. I was challenged by Mrs Bell to think of a time that I have become sick that didn't involve our kids bringing an unwelcome pathogen into the house. It was a difficult question and while we have had to deal with numerous bugs via the school vector of transmission, the last time I contracted anything outside of that was 2019, and 2015 before that.
We are told that Delta is affecting more young people than its Wuhan counterpart, so it would seem logical that mask wearing in school environments would be mandated (particularly when some parents will send their child to school rather than use their leave to care for them). Also, it would be useful to know if teachers and early childhood carers have been prioritised for vaccination; because when you look back at this and previous outbreaks, quite a large number of schools have been affected.
