Covid Watch

Well, are we getting there at last? 
Dare I suggest, one of the more useful one o'clock sessions came yesterday from the pulpit of whatever you think the pulpit represents these days? There seems a concerted message from the Government that a 90 percent jab rate is where we are headed, or need to be, to get a whole bunch of stuff. 
Firstly, Auckland to Level 2. The 90 percent was one jab, not two. Their argument and a sensible one, is that once you have one, it's not like you're not going back for your second, so they have confidence. That's a fairly significant move for a group as conservative as them.   
And Level 2 for Auckland is most likely Level 1 for the rest of the country. 
They also said watch this space on home isolation. About time. Watch this space isn't a date or time and this Government is famous for noise not action. But I was pleasantly surprised at the bullishness of the comment. 
They are looking at mandating jabs for health care workers. Good. They need to take a lead on this stuff, that’s what governments are for. 
They still seemed to trip over each other a bit on zero cases and elimination. Chris Hipkins is adamant elimination is still the aim, which is different to actually doing it. Aiming is not doing, but Ashley Bloomfield, I think, has let the cat out of the bag. 
He doesn’t seem convinced any more zero is where we are headed. And yesterday's numbers, once again, reminded us that for in excess of 5 weeks now, they have got nowhere near close to zero. 
Here is the sense I get of this, there is genuine light at the end of the tunnel. 
The jab programme is still an issue. The rollout is slowing badly and 90 percent for everyone might be a bridge too far. That’s a debate we'll need to have if it doesn’t look real. 
Case numbers in Auckland these next two weeks might scuttle stuff as well. But there is more hope now, than not. It is such a shame given this could have been us back in May, if only they pulled finger and got some vaccines into the country. 
But a target is better than what we've had, a watch this space on home isolation I will take, and a semi-confession that elimination is over is better than nothing. 
Of all the one o'clocks I've endured, this was actually one to remember, or at least be a bit uplifted by.

I’m feeling for the events industry this morning, another industry left in a holding pattern by the Government, playing a waiting game of will we, won’t we. It’s a familiar game by now for South Islanders and everyone outside of Auckland, and for many hospitality outlets still. Level 2 is still not Level 1. There’s still a big difference. 
And if you’re looking down the barrel of summer festival season, it’s tough to call at this point. We‘ve been given some incentives of sorts; get vaccinated, and freedoms may come back. But no guarantees. And with the Government still refusing to admit it’s given up on elimination, it leaves room for a lot of doubt as to whether we will ever truly be free this year. 
If their version of elimination, which Bloomfield says no longer means zero cases, but still includes eradication and stamping it out. Don’t you love how they keep re-defining what elimination means? 
Anyway, if they keep that up, then is Level 1 really an option until we’re virtually all vaccinated? And look, no one’s saying there’s surety here, because as we know, this changes all the time and they don’t have a crystal ball, but, surely they’re running scenarios and planning for them. 
For example, Level 2 for Auckland and Level 1 for everyone else in two weeks' time. What are the scenarios?  
We know they want maximum vaccination coverage, what if they achieve it, but there’re still pockets of communities lower on vaccination rates? Are they factoring in school holidays and opening the country up to that much movement for two weeks? Could there be a scenario whereby regional borders come into play? Is there a level 2.5 plan which may include some extra freedoms but limit travel?  
How much vaccination coverage do they want to see in general? One dose? Two doses? What about Pacific and Māori communities who’re lagging behind, are they waiting for them to catch up? Surely they’ve played these scenarios out and are not taking a ‘wait and see’ approach. 
And when it comes to the events sector, what're the plans for what Level 1 might look like in the advent of Auckland still showing cases? What should events companies be preparing for? Can festivals with overseas acts coming in realistically get artists into MIQ between now and Christmas? 
Telling us simply to vaccinate, vaccinate and vaccinate is one thing, but that’s not the whole picture. Chris Hipkins said yesterday, it’s not the whole picture.  
So what else makes up the picture? And of those moving parts which bits are the most important? What else may hold us back? With so many livelihoods, businesses, events and holiday plans hanging in the balance, a bit of information by way of a roadmap beyond just two words ‘get vaccinated’ would be a huge help. 
Share the plan with us, so we can get on board and help make it happen.

An immunologist is confident New Zealand can get 90 percent of people vaccinated by Christmas, even if other countries can't. 
Malaghan Institute Director Graham Le Gros told Mike Hosking we have an advantage. 
"Some of the other countries actually have some big problems, they have a significant minority that won't get vaccinated, they can't get around it. We actually are pretty homogeneous in terms of understanding about the nature of disease and all that kind of stuff." 
LISTEN ABOVE

School's back, but the students aren't.  
Level 3 in Auckland means schools are open for students whose parents need to work, but student numbers have been low. 
Lockdowns have got education experts looking at alternative methods and whether the days of the standard classroom are obsolete.  
One of those other methods is Flipped Learning, becoming more popular in the United States.  
We have a school in New Zealand doing it - Ashhurst School near Palmerston North is in fact the world's first recognised elementary school to do flipped learning and Principal Heath Chittenden joined Mike Hosking. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Nine MIQ spots have been set aside specifically for the Climate Change Minister James Shaw's trip to Glasgow. 
The Prime Minister confirmed yesterday that the slots had to be specially arranged, after they failed to secure them in Monday's room release. 
The National Party have questioned whether Shaw needs to take such a large entourage, considering the massive demand for MIQ bookings. 
Sherrilyn Kingi is a Kiwi nurse in Western Australia who missed out on a slot, she told Heather du Plessis Allan Monday was a heart-breaking process. 
Sherrilyn wants to move back to New Zealand permanently and fears she may have to quit her job in order to be able jump on any spot that becomes available – but that may mean she remains in Australia without an income for months. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Did the government ask Pfizer to delay its vaccine shipments while a leaked document from the Ministry of Health shows that the ministry was expecting all Pfizer vaccines to be delivered by September? 
Chris Bishop thinks so, revealing a plan leaked to National that showed all doses would arrive by the end of September. 
But Chris Hipkins says that the particular graph Bishop has been referring to was from before delivery schedules were even confirmed for the additional Pfizer doses. 
However, when Heather du Plessis-Allan asked Hipkins to provide evidence to prove that the Pfizer doses weren’t delayed, he couldn’t offer anything other than his word. 
When challenged that the government couldn’t continue to hold Aucklanders hostage until enough people were vaccinated, he said that he didn’t believe they were holding anybody hostage. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Protests continue in Melbourne for a third day ... even during an earthquake.
The 5.9 magnitude quake damaged some storefronts..but no injuries have been reported.
Protesters objecting to mandatory Covid vaccination and restrictions at work, are in a standoff with police.
Melbourne correspondent Lesley Yeomans says some are at the Shrine of Remembrance.
She says it's considered a sacred area for quiet reflection, so they're not getting a lot of love and support from the general community.
LISTEN ABOVE

Claims the Government consciously slowed Covid-19 vaccine deliveries.
National's been leaked an internal Ministry of Health document from May, showing all Pfizer doses were due to arrive by the end of September.
They're now arriving in October.
Party Covid Response spokesman, Chris Bishop, says it's incompetence.
He says if they had been here by the end of September, Auckland's outbreak might look much different.
Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the document was a model and denies shipments were deliberately delayed.
LISTEN ABOVE

A South Auckland Councillor is raising the alarm about Covid-19 in gangs.
It's reportedly snuck its way into infecting members of the Mongrel Mob, Black Power and now Hell's Angels.
Councillor Alf Filipaina says authorities may have problems reaching out to gangs.
He says it's important to reach out to help members and their family.
LISTEN ABOVE

An important day not just for Auckland businesses, but businesses around the country. 
Auckland is now in Alert Level Three, meaning more businesses can begin operating in some capacity. 
Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck joined Kerre McIvor.
LISTEN ABOVE