Covid Watch

Health Minister Andrew Little joined Simon Barnett & James Daniels to discuss the health system's ability to cope with Covid and home isolation for positive cases as cases are expected to double in the next fortnight.
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Thames-Coromandel Mayor Sandra Goudie has doubled down on her anti-Pfizer jab stance - adding she believes it is "absolutely wrong" that some people should be mandated to have the vaccine.
Goudie went public this week saying she won't be being vaccinated until the Novovax vaccine is used, potentially, in New Zealand.
At present, the Pfizer vaccine is used in the nationwide roll-out.
That stance has been criticised, including by Green Party co-leader James Shaw who says people in public, leadership roles should be vaccinated now to ensure the health and safety of people around them.
Goudie said her vaccine decisions were a matter of personal choice, and people should respect each other's opinions.
Novovax is yet to be approved for use in New Zealand and when questioned about why she wouldn't get the Pfizer vaccine, she declined to elaborate.
Goudie told Tim Beveridge on Newstalk ZB this morning she wouldn't be taking part in Saturday's vaxathon and that she had made her stance clear.
"I'm not taking the Pfizer vaccine, that I will wait for the Novovax because I have that personal choice and everybody has that personal choice."
She said it shouldn't be mandated and people shouldn't have to lose their jobs.
"I think that's absolutely wrong."
As for why Novovax, she said it was "her personal choice, I've got the right to make that personal choice".
She said she "reads a lot of information".
"I'm only going to make comment around that I have a personal choice ... I'm not going to vilify people for their choices."
Asked if she felt a responsibility to explain her reasons to wait for Novovax, Goudie said she wasn't an anti vaxxer, she had vaccinations in the past.
"I'm waiting for the Novovax to come into New Zealand."
Asked if she was encouraging people to get vaxxed, she said she had been buoyed by the numbers of vaccinations in her district, despite then being told by Beveridge the district's numbers were quite low compared to others.
"My understanding was that [district] was [doing well]. They may have changed," she said.
Asked about having an obligation, as a public official, to encourage people to get vaccinated, she said people should be able to "have the freedom of choice for themselves".
"There comes a time when everybody is confronted with these sorts of decisions ... if they are in strong positions of leadership. But whose to say that people in positions in leadership can't also have the right to express their personal choice and freedom.
"Should I be denied that right?"
When told she was being criticised for not explaining her reasons around her decisions, she said she had "that's my personal choice as well. I have the right to make these choices and decisions.. I'm making these decisions for myself and my decisions should be respected. They're mine."
Asked about trusting scientists, she said she wouldn't "make any comment about that whatsoever".
Asked about whether she respected the scientific advice in New Zealand, - "I haven't contemplated a view on it.
"Straight off the bat you're expecting me to respond to that question? Get real."
Earlier, she told the Herald yesterday she disagreed with those who argued she was putting herself or others at risk by not getting vaccinated
"Obviously I'm not agreeing with them. And I'm exercising my personal choice. And my rights, in terms of the Bill of Rights."
She said Covid-19 legislation should be consistent with the Bill of Rights.
The High Court at Wellington last month considered if the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order infringed on the right to be free from discrimination under the Bill of Rights Act.
After a judicial review, the High Court decided that it did not. The case emerged after a sacked Customs worked challenged the lawfulness of the vaccinations order.
When asked by Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB...

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Northland this morning, and the Waikato for that matter.  
I mean Waikato has two cases and they’re staying in Level 3, which seems over the top.  
And as for Northland, they’re only staying in Level 3 because the absconders won’t help Police with their enquires; won’t fess up any locations of interest, won’t be honest.  
I mean how is it a whole hard-working, law-abiding population of people in the North are being held to ransom by two losers?   
Zero cases in Northland, and 2 household contacts in Waikato and boom, they stay in level 3.  
Vaxathon this weekend anyone? 
Is it too cynical to suggest keeping the fear button firmly pressed will help push jab rates up this weekend?  
Don’t you think it’s interesting that for a government that can’t set targets, they can suddenly set one when it involves a few TV cameras and fun day out with celebrities and influencers and sports people? They can put a number on their cheesy Vaxathon, but not when it doesn’t involve some primetime PR opportunities. 
But they just don’t seem gripped by the same sense of urgency that those actually enduring the level restrictions are. They don’t seem to carry the weight of the plight of businesses, the angst of those in unnecessary Level 3 like Northland and Waikato.  
Where is the urgency in getting these Northland women to spill the beans on where they’ve been? How is this taking so long when every single day counts here? There's also no naming and shaming going on – why is the Government still protecting these women’s anonymity? 
Why, when the Wānaka couple were outed and charged, do these two reprobates get let off the hook? What’s going on here? Their selfish and irresponsible behaviour has resulted in prolonging a needless lockdown for hundreds of thousands of people, yet they’re enjoying the privilege of anonymity.  
The inconsistency and double standards around this whole response are so galling, I think it’s another thing that really rarks people up and erodes their trust in this Government.  
Tangi are fine for gangs, but no one else can send off their loved ones in big numbers. Some people can skip the border no worries, others have the book thrown at them. Some truckies are tested and stopped, others waved by no big deal.  
Gang members can trash MIQ rooms and abuse hotel staff, but the Defence Force will confiscate even one extra bottle of wine from others. Black Lives Matter protestors can come out in force during a Level 4 lockdown last year with zero arrests made, whereas Brian Tamaki gets charged for a protest in Level 3.  
I’m not defending Brian Tamaki by the way; I’m just pointing out the litany of inconsistencies. 
Continuously, we’re told the message is to abide the rules, and yet there appears zero consistency from the people making them.

Covid's causing Kiwis to think about changing careers. 
A study by AUT Business School found the number of people who have no thoughts of leaving their job, has halved to just 9.2 percent. 
Those who have "high turnover intentions" increased from 34 to 46 percent. 
Study lead and AUT human resources expert Jarrod Haar told Mike Hosking employers should be worried. 
"No gender differences, it doesn't differ by managers or employees, it doesn't differ by ethnicity. So, if you're thinking not in my workforce, you're probably wrong." 
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Northland is in level three lockdown for another five days thanks to an uncooperative Covid case.  
That means all up the pair will have cost the region $23 million in the form of lockdowns.  
That's especially hard to stomach considering Northland's economy was going gangbusters before it went to level 3.  
Infometrics principal economist, Brad Olsen joined Kate Hawkesby. 
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The Breast Cancer Foundation says at least 133 women across the country won't know they have the disease right now.  
The national breast screening programme was put on hold at level 4 and has been running at reduced capacity from level 3.  
Breast Cancer Foundation Chief Executive Ah-Leen Rayner says told Kate Hawkesby barriers to participation need to be removed. 
She says screening needs to continue during any level four outbreak. 
"And we need action plans in place with extra resources given to our screening agencies." 
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The Government will today unveil how the hospital system will cope with an expected inundation of Covid-19 cases, with worst-case scenarios showing the region including Auckland and Northland, could face more than 5000 cases a week in a Covid surge. 
Cases are likely to rise as the country moves beyond the elimination strategy - with Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirming on Wednesday case numbers are expected to rise in Auckland in the coming days. 
On Thursday morning, the Government's chief medical officer Andrew Connolly, GP Dr Jeff Lowe and senior co-ordinating official Russell Simpson will join Health Minister Andrew Little to unveil their plan for the health system's future. 
The Government is billing the plan as preparing the country for the post-vaccination future, but with cases currently rising, it is possible the health system will be tested before the vaccination rollout is complete. 
Connolly told RNZ's Nine to Noon this week that a worst-case scenario he had seen modelled would see cases continue to rise, until they eventually surged - hitting more than 5000 cases a week in the Northern region, which takes in everything north of the Bombay Hills, including Auckland. 
"At that point, we know we're basically facing significant increases in cases each day until we plateau and the plateau period is probably for four to six weeks, and they could see around 5200 5300 cases per week in the northern region," Connolly said. 
"The vast majority of those patients ... will not need to come into hospital," he said. 
Connolly said "at our worst" the health system was expecting "upwards of 150 patients in the northern regional hospitals at any one time". 
Most patients, he said, would be treated at home, rather than in a quarantine facility, as is the case currently. 
"A lot of our work now is directed towards preparing for self-isolation or isolation within the community," he said. 
Connolly said this would require collective effort from primary care like GPs, and other voluntary organisations. Which really requires a whole-of-system effort from our colleagues in primary care, non-governmental organisations. 
He said this would involve "delivering them foods, delivering them the medications they need, in generally speaking, virtual checkups each day to see how they're going". 
This strategy would keep only people who were seriously ill in hospital and reduce pressure on intensive care (ICU). 
Connolly said that the modelling on ICU he had seen was "in some respects reassuring". 
"It suggests we'd have a maximum ICU occupancy of Covid at any one time of 43 Covid patients in our ICUs - and we'd average during that peak period around 34," he said. 
He said those numbers would be "heavily intensive on the staff that have to care for those patients", but did not suggest ICUs would be overwhelmed. 
- Thomas Coughlan, NZ Herald

Frustration north and south of Auckland at the extension of lockdowns in Northland and Waikato. 
Both regions remain in Level Three until at least Monday night. 
Far North Mayor John Carter told Mike Hosking officials still don't know enough about the two Covid-positive women who travelled around Northland. 
"We've got to be safe, but by God it's frustrating and it's generating a lot of anger and disappointment." 
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate told Mike Hosking she also has mixed feelings. 
"Businesses had been running, and the confidence is all swept away by this. Having said that, with two unlinked cases, I do understand the need to be a little cautious." 
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A Christchurch IT expert has found security issues with the Government's My Covid website. 
The My Covid Record website is now accessible to the public, initially just allowing people to view their vaccination record.  
However, members of the public have reported the new site seems overloaded.  
IT security expert Daniel Ayers told Mike Hoskin a brand new website shouldn't have issues like these. 
"Before it was released to the world, it should have been security tested. Either it hasn't been, or it hasn't been tested properly. I mean, these were problems that were relatively easily found within a few minutes." 
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A lot of frustration in Northland tonight, as it's staying in Level 3 until at least midnight on Monday with officials struggling to get exposure data from two Covid-infected women who travelled up there.
Whangarei mayor Sheryl Mai says the entire region is bearing the brunt of the two women's behaviour.
Chris Hipkins also couldn’t say whether one of the women was a sex worker.
Te Tai Tokerau border control border worker and former MP Hone Harawira joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.
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