So John starts the interview off by saying he wanted a rational and calm discussion about how we are preparing for the virus and is focusing on this first case.
It quickly goes down hill as the jaw dropping laxness of how a sick passenger from Iran was able to just wander around Auckland Airport and how only a few people forced to sit next to this passenger on the plane have been chased up.
Why is it only 2 rows in front and 2 behind???? Clark claims this is because contact within 1 metre for 15 minutes is the threshold, but surely with a virus this unpredictable, you would just as a matter of course contact everyone in the bloody plane right?
You’d be wrong. Our normal lax ‘she’ll be right’ attitude which we saw with the measles epidemic aren’t acceptable anymore!
Oh David says we are giving people a pamphlet.
A fucking pamphlet???
This is all part of the Ministry’s ‘Individual empowerment’ policy, (their words I’m not joking) where by the responsibility for a pandemic is placed all on the good will of the bloody individual???
Most public services are threadbare and hands off – we are seeing that with this nonsense by David Calrk’s supposed ‘individual empowerment’ policy rather than strict quarantine.
The crass incompetence of the measles epidemic is being played out in front of our eyes in real time with this novel virus and John’s increasing exasperation at Clark’s position builds throughout the entire interview.
It is not good when a Government Minister does a TV interview and you are more concerned than you were before he did it.
Worst interview ever by David Clark – if you get John Campbell, who is ultra reasonable and ridiculously benefit of the doubt, pissed off, you had a bad day at the office.
NZ is so free market we’ll allow a virus to decide a pandemic.
Maybe David Clark’s done a “Handshake deal” with the virus this time?
Parker Handshake Deals
They should never have got rid of Annette King…incompetent ageist/sexist Labour Party
…however this government has been good in stopping Chinese students coming into the country, despite the negligent ignorant NZ university spokespeople pleading with the government to do so
( it makes one wonder whether these so called NZ university authorities have been bribed or where their loyalties are?…or are they just ignorant?…or are NZ universities paid for and built up by New Zealand citizens now Chinese universities?)
…NZ students and their New Zealand families must come first and not be exposed unnecessarily to this killer virus!
…the universities
Mr Clark is no man–rather a clone of the neo lib managerialist template kept in cryogenic suspension in the Labour Caucus fridge.
He was captured by DHB Administrators from day one, not that much ‘capturing’ would have been required, just as the once great New Zealand Public Health system has been destabilised by neo liberal principles. They have the spin and the cost slashing down pat–but just look out if you ever entrust your own, or your families well being to these heartless bean counters. No worries if “the operation was a success but unfortunately the patient–er, service user–died”–an enquiry will be held so that this “never happens again”–until the next time!
Unfortunately with pandemics and epidemics, the entire population has by default entrusted the Public Health system with their well being–and we will all be discovering the reality of 30 years of underfunding and corporatisation very shortly.
If this does not wake people up nothing will. The State Sector Act, The Reserve Bank Act, SOEs, WINZ/MSD and all the rest of “Roger’n’Ruth’s” filthy legacy has to go. It is the political task of the 2020s to rid NZ of neo liberal hegemony in our Govt. and society.
We live in hope TM but it has to come from the voter, who is battered and fried by MSM owned by Business NZ owned by offshore money.
We need more rebels, independent and critical thinkers that many University faculties frown on.
Corporate influence has no place in a university.
If the passenger went to the toilet on the plane, most people who also used said toilet will have been exposed. Also people blatantly lie about being exposed, because they don’t want to be quarantined.
e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifPpwOV-_aQ
(also don’t count on the WHO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0tGWLrFb5E ).
Looks like this cat is fully out of the bag. Looks like we can pretty much guarantee that you’ll be exposed to Corona Virus sooner or later regardless of how much prepping you do to avoid it, because the health authorities all over the world are utterly incompetent and thus incapable of containing it.
We have seen incompetence before we had 9 years of it while we were waiting for our brighter future bullshit
Annette King signed the warrant for the Tuhoe raids setting Maori, Crown relations back decades are you saying she didn’t make any mistakes when in my view that was a biggie
that was a biggie
Yep. An absolute shocker, one of the worst.
@ Michelle
Yes disgraceful episode done by those keen to exercise police power in a climate of overseas post 9/11 inspired terrorism and panic…really the whole Labour Government was influenced and responsible
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/95416168/tuhoe-community-10-years-after-the-urewera-raids
…Did not realise Annette King was responsible for signing off but I guess as Minister of Police at the time she did . She was a good Minister of health however
How good was she really.
According to Phil Bagshaw health has been underfunded for the last 30 years,
I am hoping someone is going to set up a campaign for this election to get some figures from all parties as to how much they would pump into health for the past, not how much each year, but one an enormous lump sum. Obviously it is the Natz and the Labourites we are most interested in.
Would need to be broken down into buildings and actual health care itself.
And no I cannot do this I have other major issues on my plate, not personal but for the good of humanity.
Ever tried to get a hernia operation these days…
…+100 Michal….agree totally about the under-funding!
(… we dont need motorways for new immigrants…we need much better health funding to look after our own…our New Zealanders !
I should probably have said Annette King was an effective health spokesperson rather than Minister…because Ministers merely represent their governments
They’re preparing in the Waikato, with plans for schools, councils and rest-homes to close in event of an outbreak. stuff Prepping for Pandemic Waikato
You realize all we need do is join Destiny Church pay our tithes and all will be well Praise the lord
🙂 🙂
Nice one, Trev
Right on Trev, just forwarded my application by courier dove.
It was a passenger from Bali as far as NZ was concerned. What shall we do….shut down the country or isolate all arrivals at the end of the runway.
J C’s face:That moment when you realise we really do have idiots running the country.
My take on the government stuffing around is this: they feel they can’t stop the virus getting here but are trying to slow its arrival and not spook the horses.
If they wanted to stop it getting here they would be much more strict with travel bans and quarantine. “Self isolation” is as piss poor as it sounds.
be afraid people be very afraid wouldn’t believe anything he says.
Here is something that concerns me:
A cruise ship has just docked at Tauranga, with seven sick people on board. Now if our pandemic preparedness were operating, those seven people would be being tested and re-tested before anyone was allowed to disembark. That is not happening. Instead, the relevant authorities are simply taking the word of the billion dollar cruise industry that there’s “nothing to see here, folks”, …it’s all just the ‘flu, y’know, or “stomach upsets”.
I do not believe that this is the best response, under our present circumstances. And I think that the slackness of response is due to some people putting $$$$$$s, profits, etc before any real concern for other people’s health and safety.
Here’s the link: Stuff Seven Sick on Cruise Ship Tauranga
Re: The cruise ship that has just docked at Tauranga with seven unwell passengers. The BoP Tourism CEO has said, “I would like to reassure the community that the cruise industry has extensive experience and protocols for managing the health and wellbeing of their guests, and the host communities.”
The same sort of thing was said in December following the Whakaari White Island eruption. So, as far as I’m concerned, that is complete BS!! It cannot be trusted on its own merit.
Yet we are now told that we must be welcoming hosts to these disembarking passengers.
She urged Tauranga locals to show manaakitanga for people on what could be the holiday of a lifetime..
That would be fine after the sick passengers were thoroughly tested by our own NZ medical team. Before, not so much. Seven Ill on Cruise Ship
Fact: Jacinda Ardern allowed an obviously symptomatic COVID-19 carrier to enter New Zealand without a health check, and expose countless Kiwis to this dreadful disease.
Fact: Our media refrained from challenging Jacinda Ardern and David Clark when they both described NZ’s border detection as “robust.” Despite the fact someone so sick they’re escorted through the airport demonstrates this is obviously, laughably, untrue.
In a functioning first world democracy both Clark and Ardern would be forced to resign and would be facing prosecution, today. Right now.
An earlier comment: “Boris Klarkov February 13, 2020 at 7:05 pm
On the bright side that poor, exploited infant Neve Ardern-Sroubek is going to be taken somewhere Cindy can’t hurt her any more.” Boris Klarkov
Agree Ardern said it was a text book case of interception at the border but the true is they did let him through. If his family had not acted it would have come to light when he got real sick and had chance to spread the virus.
This case also shows the importance of not moving from your designated seat on an aircraft. it is vital that you can trace those in danger of infection by knowing who sat where.
CORONA VIRUS takes over the world. Oh no it’s Jacinda’s fault, or David Clarkes fault..or Annette King’s fault. or maybe Muldoon or maybe dick Seddon’s fault. Grow up -its a fucking virus They’ve been trying to invade us since life began and they ain’t politically inclined..
CEAC warned the Minister to be careful about this new viris a month ago didn’t they just?
CEAC put out a press release on Scoop in January.
Read this; https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2001/S00041/ceac-calls-for-ministry-of-health-to-be-cautious.htm
CEAC calls for Ministry of Health to be cautious
Monday, 20 January 2020, 2:31 am
Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre
Monday 20th January 2020
“CEAC calls for Ministry of Health to be cautious of mystery viral pneumonia spreading from China.”
CEAC calls for Ministry of Health to be “cautious” of mystery viral pneumonia spreading from China, of a new ‘coronavirus’ that’s in the same family as SARS, MERS and the common cold, health officials said Friday; – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/407631/new-wuhan-virus-cases-emerge-in-china-but-no-plans-for-screening-at-new-zealand-airports-yet
(1) https://abcnews.go.com/Health/us-airports-screen-passengers-chinese-city-virus/story?id=68358416
Since the US (CDC) “Center for Disease Control” has just placed Three airports in the United States under screening for this new global virus.
According to the CDC they will screen passengers arriving from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of an outbreak of a new coronavirus that’s in the same family as SARS, MERS and the common cold, health officials said Friday.
Quote; (1)
US authorities have said they would start screening at three airports to detect travellers arriving via direct or connecting flights from Wuhan who may have symptoms of the new virus.
In Asia, authorities in Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand have stepped up monitoring of passengers from Wuhan at airports. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines say they have strengthened screening at all points of entry in response to the outbreak, as well.
Japan screens all incoming travellers for high temperatures and started displaying notices at airports around the country asking passengers to come forward if they have travelled to Wuhan and have become sick.
A report published by the London Imperial College’s MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis asserted there are likely “substantially more cases” of the new coronavirus than the 45 currently announced by Wuhan authorities.
A summary of the report on the centre’s website says its baseline scenario estimates that there would be 1723 cases showing onset of related symptoms by 12 January. The full report was not available, however.
Unquote;
• NZ is a large transit point for Chinese visitors and immigrants,
• So we are already effectively in harm’s way.
• So we support the Otago University Health Department calling for NZ Ministry of Health to be wary of danger to the new virus that could threaten the health of NZ citizens as stated I n the report below.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/407631/new-wuhan-virus-cases-emerge-in-china-but-no-plans-for-screening-at-new-zealand-airports-yet
End.
The Facts about Covovirus 2019.
Stop God damn panicking.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/how-covid-19-is-spread-67143?
Today I received an acknowledgement from David Clark’s office of a letter I sent a week ago. It is a standard letter and did not respond to my concerns over the government’s self-isolation policy for arrivals who may have been in contact with coronavirus. The policy has been already breached by returning Chinese students a few weeks ago. NZH reported secondary school principals complaining about students who were out and about during their “isolation” fortnight.
Not to worry. David Clark praises his policy. It is line with international practice. And we have so few cases, nothing to worry about. Worldwide, cases have been spreading at an alarmingly high rate, but apparently we will be OK.
This relaxed attitude enabled a recent arrival from Italy (where the virus is rampant) who was unwell, not to be tested by officials at the airport. Then she went on a junket to Palmerston North. Over all, an enormus number of contacts to be followed up. Arrivals in the early stages of the virus won’t be showing symptoms, what will happen with them? The mind boggles. I’m not confident this reckless self-isolation policy will prevent an outbreak here. The government must impose compulsory isolation for all arrivals in danger of having coronavirus,
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