4 November: From the Incomprehensible to the Irresponsible
November 4th was marked with further pressure on government's handling of the covid crisis. Even as our elected representatives and state sector servants struggled to keep covid contained in our largest city, political opponents and business self-interest were tugging at the other end of the covid-rope.
The Incomprehensibility of National's Chris Bishop and his ever-shifting Covid plans
On the 29th of September, National released their policy: "Opening Up - National’s plan to tackle COVID-19, end lockdowns and reopen to the world". It was a mish-mash of policies that the present government was either already implementing; planned to implement (dependent on an ever-changing pandemic crisis); or were patently unworkable.
One dubious policy was National's committment to construct purpose-built MIQ facilities, away from Auckland's CBD:
In a previous blogpost, on 20 October, I examined National's costing of $200 million and found it to be grossly under-estimated by a factor of one-and-a-half times.
But it remained part of National's master-plan.
For just over a month. Or 37 days to be precise.
On 4 November, National changed tack 180 degrees and launched a petition to "end MIQ for fully vaccinated travellers to New Zealand":
So no MIQ for "fully vaccinated travellers to New Zealand"?
Yet, according to several sources, research has shown that vaccinated people can still carry and transmit the covid virus - especially the highly infectious Delta strain:
What is clear is that vaccination reduces the length of infection; the severity; the likelihood of hospitalisation; and other dire consequences.
But vaccinated people can still carry the virus, despite having reduced effect on their own health.
Chris Bishop is either woefully ignorant of this fact - or wilfully ignored it for political opportunism.
Promising no MIQ for "fully vaccinated travellers to New Zealand" is not based on any known science. It is politically motivated to score a few votes for 2023.
He is trading on the deep desire of New Zealanders to return home quickly; without need for MIQ, and irrespective that Returnees may harbour Delta despite vaccination.
This is naked political opportunism. This dangerous bribe (what else could one call it?) could literally mean the death of some people.
Votes at any cost. Even at losing human lives. This is the promise from a former lobbyist for tobacco company, Philip Morris. Philip Morris - the company that sold products that kill its customers. The same Philip Morris Mr Bishop once worked for.
Old habits die hard.
The Irresponsibility of Business lobbyist Michael Barnett and his never-ending whining
Michael Barnett's constant whinging to allow Auckland businesses to open up in time for Christmas was repeated once again on supposedly non-commercial, but very business-friendly, RNZ's 'Checkpoint'. This time, however, there was a chilling twist.
The story - breathlessly hyped tabloid-fashion by the 'Checkpoint' team - gave unchallenged pre-emininence to Mr Barnett's laser-beam focus on the demands (dictates?) of business interests.
Not content with lobbying for his business friends, Mr Barnett demanded on 'Checkpoint' that Aucklanders be allowed free travel without border restrictions:
“Police are not travel agents and I don't believe that they would be able to manage.
I can't see any other system that they can put in place between now and the beginning of the Christmas holiday period.
If you tried stopping those vehicles, you'd have a backup from Pokeno back to Auckland, and the same thing the other way. I don't believe it's workable.
[...]
To me it's either a border or not a border.
[...]
...This is bad for Auckland. Getting goods and services in and out of Auckland is being delayed. Getting peoples whose jobs are in Auckland but they live outside of borders is also bad for our economy. If I look at the 30% of people of tourism that happens outside of Auckland because of Aucklanders not having that is bad for New Zealanders...
[...]
Why isn't it [90% vaccination] adequate today?”
The likely spread of Delta throughout the entire country, from Kaitaia to Stewart Island - should Auckland's borders be dismantled for Christmas holiday-making - was not mentioned once.
The likely filling up of our hospitals and ICU Wards with hundreds, perhaps thousands of covid cases - was not mentioned once.
The impact on peoples' lives and even on businesses, should covid explode throughout our communities - was not mentioned once.
People dying for Christmas? Not a word.
This is what the people of New South Wales, Victoria, Fiji, United Kingdom, India, the United States, Brazil, et al, must have faced when their political leaders caved to business interests: covid rampant and mounting death rates.
This is what's in store for us if people like Michael Barnett get their way.
Because let's be 100% clear about this: unrestricted travel out of Auckland means Delta will reach every city, town, and settlement in Aotearoa. Nowhere will be exempt.
So it came to pass... you're seated in a cafe, or in a line at the supermarket, or even just walking past someone on the street - and they cough - you've probably just encountered the Covid19 Delta virus.
"Dying to get away for Christmas" just took on a whole new meaning.
Postscript
I hope our hospitals are well stocked with bottled oxygen and ventilators.
.
References
RNZ: Covid-19 - National's plan calls for vaccination targets to end lockdowns, open borders
National: Opening Up: National’s plan to tackle COVID-19, end lockdowns and reopen to the world (p 27, 28)
Twitter: @cjsbishop - Time to end MIQ for fully vaccinated travellers - 1.53 PM Nov 4, 2021
Nature: How do vaccinated people spread Delta? What the science says
Ministry of Health: COVID-19 - Vaccine effectiveness and protection
Wikipedia: Chris Bishop
RNZ: Managing Auckland border during summer holiday traffic 'impossible' - police union
Reference Sources
MIQ: History and origins of MIQ
Covid19: History of the COVID-19 Alert System
MBIE: Managed isolation and quarantine data
RNZ: Timeline – The year of Covid-19 in New Zealand
Stuff media: Covid-19 – A timeline of the Delta outbreak
Recommended Reading
The Bad News Letter: The Fifth Columnists
Knightly Reading: Media lessons from a pandemic
Other Blogs
The Standard: We are all in this together
Previous related blogposts
Business and Media pimp for dodgy covid test. Govt caves. Questions Remain.
Open letter to Michael Barnett, Julie White, et al
Purpose-built MIQ: National’s sums don’t add up
.
Acknowledgement: Rod Emmerson
.
Liked what you read? Feel free to share.
Have your own thoughts? Leave a comment. (Trolls need not bother.)
.
= fs =