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stuff.co.nz
The border bungle is why we can't fly international yet
Brook Sabin09:59, Jun 17 2020FacebookTwitterWhats AppRedditEmailComments3
6-7 minutes
STUFF
Health Minister David Clark faces questions as major new report recommends sweeping changes to DHBs.
Support our coverage of the best - and safest - ways to explore New Zealand and our new world by making a contribution.
OPINION: Did you hear it yesterday? It was the sound of our dreams of a travel bubble in the next month or so popping.
How on earth can we genuinely expect unrestricted international travel with places like Australia, when we can't get a rigorous quarantine process right.
iStock
If we can't get our quarantine rules right, a travel bubble won't happen.
It's emerged two women from the UK were let out of isolation on compassionate grounds, despite no test, and were free to make their way to Wellington, with one displaying symptoms "in retrospect."
It is beyond belief how this was allowed. No test, despite six days to conduct one. Symptoms in retrospect? This is not a world-class response; it's spectacular incompetence.
READ MORE:
* Coronavirus: What happens at our borders in level 1, and in the trans-Tasman bubble
* Coronavirus: Cheaper plane fares possible in level 1
* Coronavirus: Winston Peters says New Zealand and Australia 'beating the crap' out of Covid-19
We've all spent weeks in lockdown, tens of thousands have lost jobs, and the economic fallout will be with us for years. Many of us will be retiring older for decisions made today. Another outbreak at scale would cost the economy billions, lead to more jobs losses and many more years of economic rebuild.
We've all heard of Finance Minister Grant Robertson's $20 billion war chest, leftover from the budget. That would quickly evaporate if we had another outbreak at scale. Our economy fell to bits during one lockdown; the carnage of another would be horrific.
1 NEWS
The move comes after two women arriving from the UK tested positive for Covid-19 after travelling from Auckland to Wellington for a funeral.
On top of our "rigorous" border measures - that failed - it now seems naive to think quarantine-free travel with Australia, which has more than 380 active cases, will happen any time soon.
Imagine if an infected Australian travelled here quarantine-free and went to a rugby game the likes of what we saw at the weekend, with a sold-out Eden Park. We're talking about mega-clusters.
The reality is, our border has been a weak point all along. I flew four times into New Zealand in the 45 days before lockdown. The first two times, absolutely nothing.
Ross Giblin/Stuff
Minister of Health David Clark said he was frustrated with quarantine breaches.
The third time, I was given a pamphlet. At the time, I called it a joke, saying “The New Zealand frontline against a deadly outbreak is a clipboard and a printed information sheet. No passenger tracing, no targeted screening, no temperature checks.”
The last time I entered the country, just before lockdown, I was given a form to fill out and told someone from Healthline would call me each day. I got my first call on day 13 of my isolation. And my partner got her first call two days after isolation ended: day 16.
A New Zealander who lived in China, and travelled here for 24 hours, also said the country was “woefully underprepared” at the border; he filmed a health process that took around five seconds, despite, at the time coming from one of the worst affected countries.
Then, during lockdown, police didn't have the resources to check if people coming from overseas were complying with self-isolation.
The Government was slow to use quarantine facilities, only after substantial pressure from the public.
Then, the bungles continued, even when these facilities were established.
1News published a series of highly concerning reports - just last week - revealing how quarantined travellers have been allowed to mix. A person on their first day of quarantine could come into contact with someone about to leave.
Lastly, the Ministry of Health has only just recently decided to test all arriving travellers, despite arguably having the capacity to do this for weeks. And guess what: it let out two without testing them - and they had Covid-19.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield speaks to media during a press conference at the Ministry of Health on June 16, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Two new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in New Zealand after 24 days without an active case in the country.
Whoever is responsible for the border bungles should resign. This is our weakest point, and it looks beyond amateurish. The country's future is quite literally at stake, and we need military-level discipline.
This comes as we all started to get excited about the prospect of international travel. So, what now?
If anything, it proves we're only ready to deal with Covid-19 free countries like Rarotonga. This bungle gives considerable weight to a Pacific bubble, leaving out Australia until their case numbers are much lower. Yes, we could test Australians before they got here - but what if the person is pre-symptomatic when they are tested, in that 5-14 incubation period? They might return a negative test, and then wander around the country, thinking they are in the clear.
The sad reality is until we get quarantine travel right, an unrestricted travel bubble won't happen. And if yesterday proved one thing; we're not ready. Not even close.
Contribute Now
The border bungle is why we can't fly international yet
Brook Sabin09:59, Jun 17 2020FacebookTwitterWhats AppRedditEmailComments3
6-7 minutes
STUFF
Health Minister David Clark faces questions as major new report recommends sweeping changes to DHBs.
Support our coverage of the best - and safest - ways to explore New Zealand and our new world by making a contribution.
OPINION: Did you hear it yesterday? It was the sound of our dreams of a travel bubble in the next month or so popping.
How on earth can we genuinely expect unrestricted international travel with places like Australia, when we can't get a rigorous quarantine process right.
iStock
If we can't get our quarantine rules right, a travel bubble won't happen.
It's emerged two women from the UK were let out of isolation on compassionate grounds, despite no test, and were free to make their way to Wellington, with one displaying symptoms "in retrospect."
It is beyond belief how this was allowed. No test, despite six days to conduct one. Symptoms in retrospect? This is not a world-class response; it's spectacular incompetence.
READ MORE:
* Coronavirus: What happens at our borders in level 1, and in the trans-Tasman bubble
* Coronavirus: Cheaper plane fares possible in level 1
* Coronavirus: Winston Peters says New Zealand and Australia 'beating the crap' out of Covid-19
We've all spent weeks in lockdown, tens of thousands have lost jobs, and the economic fallout will be with us for years. Many of us will be retiring older for decisions made today. Another outbreak at scale would cost the economy billions, lead to more jobs losses and many more years of economic rebuild.
We've all heard of Finance Minister Grant Robertson's $20 billion war chest, leftover from the budget. That would quickly evaporate if we had another outbreak at scale. Our economy fell to bits during one lockdown; the carnage of another would be horrific.
1 NEWS
The move comes after two women arriving from the UK tested positive for Covid-19 after travelling from Auckland to Wellington for a funeral.
On top of our "rigorous" border measures - that failed - it now seems naive to think quarantine-free travel with Australia, which has more than 380 active cases, will happen any time soon.
Imagine if an infected Australian travelled here quarantine-free and went to a rugby game the likes of what we saw at the weekend, with a sold-out Eden Park. We're talking about mega-clusters.
The reality is, our border has been a weak point all along. I flew four times into New Zealand in the 45 days before lockdown. The first two times, absolutely nothing.
Ross Giblin/Stuff
Minister of Health David Clark said he was frustrated with quarantine breaches.
The third time, I was given a pamphlet. At the time, I called it a joke, saying “The New Zealand frontline against a deadly outbreak is a clipboard and a printed information sheet. No passenger tracing, no targeted screening, no temperature checks.”
The last time I entered the country, just before lockdown, I was given a form to fill out and told someone from Healthline would call me each day. I got my first call on day 13 of my isolation. And my partner got her first call two days after isolation ended: day 16.
A New Zealander who lived in China, and travelled here for 24 hours, also said the country was “woefully underprepared” at the border; he filmed a health process that took around five seconds, despite, at the time coming from one of the worst affected countries.
Then, during lockdown, police didn't have the resources to check if people coming from overseas were complying with self-isolation.
The Government was slow to use quarantine facilities, only after substantial pressure from the public.
Then, the bungles continued, even when these facilities were established.
1News published a series of highly concerning reports - just last week - revealing how quarantined travellers have been allowed to mix. A person on their first day of quarantine could come into contact with someone about to leave.
Lastly, the Ministry of Health has only just recently decided to test all arriving travellers, despite arguably having the capacity to do this for weeks. And guess what: it let out two without testing them - and they had Covid-19.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield speaks to media during a press conference at the Ministry of Health on June 16, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Two new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in New Zealand after 24 days without an active case in the country.
Whoever is responsible for the border bungles should resign. This is our weakest point, and it looks beyond amateurish. The country's future is quite literally at stake, and we need military-level discipline.
This comes as we all started to get excited about the prospect of international travel. So, what now?
If anything, it proves we're only ready to deal with Covid-19 free countries like Rarotonga. This bungle gives considerable weight to a Pacific bubble, leaving out Australia until their case numbers are much lower. Yes, we could test Australians before they got here - but what if the person is pre-symptomatic when they are tested, in that 5-14 incubation period? They might return a negative test, and then wander around the country, thinking they are in the clear.
The sad reality is until we get quarantine travel right, an unrestricted travel bubble won't happen. And if yesterday proved one thing; we're not ready. Not even close.
Contribute Now
