WHO have now declared an official pandemic, that means the expectation is that this virus will get out into our communities and we are looking at mass sickness and a huge leap in deaths.
Jacinda’s decision to go ahead with Pacifica and the Christchurch memorial is being based on ‘best international practise’, but surely with a virus as novel and as dangerous and as sneaky as this one, ‘best international practise’ isn’t even close enough to being enough of a response.
We have an illness spread at the Tool concert, so we know large crowds is the perfect environment for this to spread. That means people who don’t feel sick could appear at Pacifica or the Christchurch memorial and we could get a break out event which will get blamed directly on Jacinda.
This isn’t just a public health concern it could quickly become a political one as well.
With the pandemic announcement, Pacifica and the Christchurch memorial should be cancelled and NZ has to go into lockdown for as long as we can until a vaccine is available.
If that means the Government has to step in with the credit card and simply hold the economy up during that 18months until a vaccine is available, so be it.
Worst case scenario is 28 000 NZers dead within the space of a few months if this becomes a full blown event.
The time for tinkering is over and the population will judge whatever Government is in power if ‘best international practise’ turns out to be bullshit.
With the pandemic announcement, Pacifica and the Christchurch memorial should be cancelled and NZ has to go into lockdown for as long as we can
Yes. Absolutely.
At the moment we in AO/ NZ still have the option of containing it, if not keeping it completely at bay. But we’ll lose that option in an instant, at one public gathering.
Some Refs:
Time MagazinePandemic Declaration
The Guardian WHO Covid19 Pandemic
CNBC WHO Global Pandemic
BBC Coronavirus Confirmed as Pandemic
Ten days ago I spoke about a minimum of 3 million New Zealanders becoming infected with the virus. Those numbers seemed outrageous especially when our Ministry of Health has been going the early crow busy congratulating each other recently for no new “reported / confirmed” cases exactly as if they were the Masters of the Universe. Last night that changed. A senior health official here spoke about the possibility of 3 million New Zealanders as if it was a formality. She stated most would recover but big numbers will not.
Accepted approximate figures world wide show 8% of 70 years + age group die after becoming infected and a staggering 14% of 80 years + will succumb to it after becoming infected. These numbers amount to tens of thousands of New Zealanders being killed. These are our parents and grandparents FFS.
How the fuck can NZ be so diabolically inept to allow Pacifica and Christchurch memorial to go ahead at this time with the potential devastating consequences looming? Are we frightened of offending Muslims and Pacific Islanders?
I watched in total disbelief yesterday when the announcement was made that both events would continue but our Ministry of Health is recommending anyone “not feeling well” does not attend. How utterly useless is that? So these people are now all doctors and experts of their own condition? ” I had a wee tickle but never dreamed it was coronavirus” …”I feel a bit sore and run down but just assumed I hadn’t had enough sleep” etc etc etc. Then you get those selfish gits that will attend events even if they strongly suspect they have an issue that can hurt others.
Hey, here’s an idea. Why don’t we play Russian Roulette with the health and lives of New Zealanders?
Morons!
Muslims would not be upset as they did not want this event in the first place as it is not their custom to have commemorations they do not even celebrate birthdays it was put on them by government and council . Both have a their own reasons but they should not outweigh public health
The Islands are in fear of an outbreak of Corona so Pacifica is a no brained to cancel.
Trevor Sennitt – Agree. Making the Muslim community participate in a process contrary to their own customs and beliefs was over-bearing and oafish.
I was appalled. It should not have happened. Forcing these poor people to agree to do something which they didn’t want to, showed a complete lack of cultural sensitivity. CCC and the NZ Govt need to accept – and to respect – that others’ have a spiritual dimension in their lives, even if it is beyond their comprehension.
There are quieter and less obtrusive ways which could have marked this horrendous happening – but politicians always have to have their damn photo ops.
Absolutely spot on Martyn.
The extraordinarily timid approach toward mitigating COVID-19 in this country will cost lives.
Do people think the virus isn’t already firmly established here and circulating, thanks to woeful inaction and reactive rather than proactive policies?? Does anyone in government know the word “exponential”?
Here we sit, in our island nation.
So well placed to protect our borders. To enforce quarantines. Limit unnecessary travel.
But yeah nah…….protecting the bottom line, rather than people, has always been the mantra of neoliberal capitalism.
“In self isolation”. A great epitaph for a gravestone.
Well put
We have a government which is weak and cowardly, one which shies away from decisive action which might upset business as usual. Therefore, expect the response of the government to focus on keeping things as they are, and expect NZ to be taken down financially by the meltdown of the western finance system (‘junk bonds’, especially those in the fracking sector, about to live up to their nickname).
Whether there is already a nascent epidemic in NZ is still unknown but there are certainly ‘alarming levels of inaction’.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/11/who-declares-coronavirus-pandemic
Judging by the further fall in share markets after the ‘dead cat bounce’, today is the day the shit really hits the fan.
Memorial also serves to remind NZers how New Zealanders were scapegoated by the Greens and Labour for the actions of an Australian nut job
….not a vote winner
….and particularly not a vote winner if it causes more deaths by virus
This news will have the corporates and their stockbroker mates crying into their fat wallets!
Not looking good if someone catches the virus and Labour is blamed for not cancelling the events.
They could broadcast it on TV/Internet and not have the public there or postpone it.
Did they learn nothing from the measles?
No the PM will just lie or censor the information.
Just as this government did with news that gun owners information was leaked online, yet again. So crims can steal guns to order and government can blame the owners some more.
There is nothing more vulgar than politicians (who tend to bullshit) who sell themselves as this time being better than everyone else, but actually being lying moralizing douchebags.
Do not expect integrity from this government they have none.
They will take the Chch headscarf photo op and to hell with public health or what Chch or the Muslims want.
hang on a minute geez perspective, we don’t know yet if the northland (tool concert) case is a positive covid-19 ….until then there is no evidence yet of community transmission. Watch this space though cause they were meant to have results out yesterday.
Ardern got a boost in the polls for her handling of this tragedy. Call me a cynic but I cant see her canceling the chance to remind kiwis of this or to deliver another speech and get photos taken at this event. Especially in an election year where her party is struggling for good news stories.
MickeyBoyle,
You genuinely believe that Ardern is such a maggot infested turd that she uses tragedies as vote winning photo opportunities? Have you not been watching? Are you that fucking ignorant that you don’t know or understand empathy and what an authentic people person looks like?
Empathy : empathy
/ˈɛmpəθi/
Learn to pronounce
noun
the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Similar:
affinity with
rapport with
sympathy with
understanding of.
If National had a leader in their 9 years of carnage who actually gave a flying fuck about all New Zealanders instead of it all being about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ then perhaps you’d understand what empathy from a leader looks like. Here’s a clue of what it isn’t. Selfish greed is not good and it’s most definitely not the kiwi way.
The headscarf was a perfect example of a genuine leader showing genuine empathy. The victims in Christchurch suffered the worst type of extreme hatred. Ardern set out to show these people that the evil hatred on show in the most diabolical reprehensible way was not a reflection of our beautiful country and the people within. Her handling of it gave great comfort to people all around the world and especially those directly impacted in Christchurch. I sincerely believe Ardern’s handling of the tragedy prevented suicide bombs going on in cafes and schools around New Zealand in the months that followed.
It’s takes a “unique” sort of person to hate on Ardern for her actions over Christchurch. They fall into one or both of the below categories.
1) A misogynist.
2) A National Party troll who is still incensed that a party other than National has the fucking audacity to govern in NZ especially when National got more votes than any other party.
Ardern could find the cure for cancer and her haters led by the vile Simon Bridges would still be hating on her. When she doesn’t put on a headscarf she’s a part time PM with zero leadership skills. When she has the audacity to lead as a leader, she is just seeking photo opportunities. I really wished the gutless online trolls would come out so we can all see you challenge Ardern in person rather than doing it hiding behind your keyboard you brave warriors.
With the UK going full on Keynesian Economics again and having a good old knees up and going on a £30b spending spree. With the understanding and learning from the GFC, Austerity is not the answer. NZ should follow suit and do the same and build some Houses!
With debt at 19.3%. $43b in the ACC account, $47b in the Superfund and $40b in Kiwisaver. We could clip those tickets and refocus the entire construction industry onto housing, not building more hotels. Theres your workforce. Government been the only provider of purchasing materials, bulk buying power ect …. this’ll take people minds away from death and destruction of the virus pandemic and the election thats up for grabs.
https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca
Agreed re Christchurch memorial. Those affected don’t want it and it will probably re-open the trauma for them. Jacinda’s image is the only reason to proceed and would be foolish for public health. Cancelling Pasifika is also a no-brainer. Also suggest St Patricks Parades next week be cancelled
arbeitslos “Agreed re Christchurch memorial. Those affected don’t want it and it will probably re-open the trauma for them” Precisely.
Anniversaries may trigger unexpected responses and much pain, perhaps better dealt with by sufferers at their own pace, in their own way. The provision of an indefinite help line staffed by their own kith and kin, could be a more constructive and positive way to help those affected by the horrific Muslim massacres.
At that terrible time, PM Ardern rightly refused to say, or to give recognition to the murderer’s name. Staging a public memorial event now could be indirectly providing him with the recognition and oxygen which makes him and his evil ilk feel important, when they are the filth beneath our feet.
This is an opportune time to consign him to oblivion, and to not now risk the health and well-being of an injured community because of what he did last March.
Heads up from prepaussie that major Australian cities are going into lockdown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2DT2Nug7jQ
Across the ditch, Tom Hanks and his wife have both tested positive and are in hospital on the Gold Coast. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Test Positive
On Instagram, Hanks wrote, “We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive.”
Makes good common sense to cancel any event which involves hundreds, possibly thousands of people gathering together at the present time. Can always be reviewed at a later date, dependent on which way Covid-19 is tracking.
I don’t understand why testing is being restricted so heavily. Why are we waiting?! South Korea has been testing 10,000 people/day for the last few weeks.
People from all over the country will have been at that Tool gig, not to mention the fact that people are still allowed to come here from Italy and South Korea as long as they agree to self-isolate upon arrival. For fuck’s sake.
There are two massive events that are still scheduled to happen in Wellington in the next couple of weeks: Homegrown (which is sold out) and CubaDupa (a big street festival). Considering the circumstances, it seems deranged not to reschedule or even cancel these events. Surely the risk is too high.
Actually for once I don’t agree with you. Heard and epidemiologist speak today and he said words to the effect that there is a fine line between acting too soon and too late. The time to stop large public gatherings is at the first sign of person to person transmission within the community. So far NZ has had cases which were not contracted in NZ. If you bring in draconian measures BEFORE they are necessary general experience worldwide is that the population rapidly stops cooperating – with worse consequences once general community transmission does start.
No doubt this is the advice that our politicians, of whatever stripe, have also received.
Sorry, disagree with you for once. Heard and epidemiologist says something along the followint lines today:
So far NZ has had cases which were not contracted in NZ. If you bring in draconian measures BEFORE they are necessary – ie before there is the beginning of spread within the community (and not just imported isolated cases) general experience worldwide is that the population rapidly stops cooperating – with long term worse consequences once internal spread does happen – as it will. It’s a fine line.
No doubt this is the advice our politicians, of whatever stripe, have received.
Aside from the sycophant ‘Jacindafan’, almost everyone posting agrees that the Christchurch memorial Sunday should be cancelled (postponed?).
As you all know I’m NOT a Jacinda fan, but if it does go ahead I believe it will have the opposite effect of what she is hoping for…international brownie points for her again and a photo op for her now trade marked ‘head tilted and concerned look’ but a back lash of voters and world leaders wondering if she (NZ in general) are taking the virus seriously!
She still has 48hrs to cancel it, I think her advisors will be weighing up if it’s worth it or not in an election year.
Hey shitheel,
I’m a world away from a sycophant. I’ve been highly critical of some Ardern actions. That’s not what an Ardern sycophant would do you fucking ignorant maggot.
I get that misogynistic fleas exactly like you are only interested in Ardern being ridiculed, attacked, mocked, misrepresented and undermined. How dare anyone have the audacity to support her. Better that we have wankers like K
Wow, the supporters of the kindest most open transparent government ever sure act like bullying storm troopers don’t they.
Do they realize what they have become?
I note Ms Arderns current chch angle is stamping out bullying and extremism (the shooter was Australian remember) is she greenlighting her woke brown shirts to flame anyone of the opposite political faction?
Interesting tactic.
JFan, “I’m Right” has been doing his right wing trolling for yonks. It’s what he does. His aim is to stir you up. Just ignore him, that way he doesn’t win.
We got WOMAD starting tomorrow here in the Naki FFS.
WOMAD could be televised way more than it is. It would reach more people and ultimately involve more people than just being a tucked-away event that some people attend and that gets a brief mention in the news. …as is happening with the sporting events that are continuing despite having no immediate audience.
Turned off RNZ for the day …cant be bothered hearing RNZ reporters framing from on the ground about that Christchurch gunman etc etc
TRUTH: ….He was an interloping opportunistic psychopathic AUSTRALIAN!….and he had recently been to Israel, Pakistan and North Korea!
…also NZ gun owners who were concerned about him prior to the shooting were ignored by the police
….also how the fuck did he get his NZ gun license? Usually the NZ police are meticulous about vetting and interviewing for gun licenses
…looks like a Christchurch and NZ SETUP to me
These are the questions RNZ should be asking!… and the Prime Minister should be asking!
( instead we ( Christchurch people and NZers) have to suffer a re-enactment and re-framing of the whole tragic thing …in a St Joan fest)
This will backfire badly…especially if it is shown to unleash the virus
Doctors in Aus are calling for an immediate ban on all large public gatherings: ABC AU 13th March 2020
“History indicates in the acceleration of an epidemic if large public gatherings are contained, it’s more likely you’ll be able to reduce the spread of infection and the consequent fatality rate.” – Victorian Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Julian Rait
“It’s beyond time for the government to tell us what the plan is, what date they’re going to do this, depending on how many cases they see.” – West Australian President of the AMA, Andrew Miller
And the “world class treatment” for a pandemic virus in NZ- – go home and take two Panadol. Wow, just WOW. Give those nurses a raise.
I posted this elsewhere but it should be here too:
Pasifika 2020 has now been cancelled. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120245733/coronavirus-auckland-pasifika-festival-cancelled-over-covid19-fears
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZFhjMQrVts&fbclid=IwAR0tp1scefygicHw3DsbG0itP5Fw_1dzDXC2PvvZIhuXs6hl0P0WDA7_nlg
Note that disease expert Michae Osterholm confirms people with the virus are spreading it before they have any symptoms and are even aware they have the virus. Exactly the same situation in the UK. This totally contradicts the Ministry of Health adamant claim and advice that only those with obvious symptoms can spread the virus. 100% bullshit that will result in many deaths here.
Dunno if it will be many deaths but yes it was always bollocks that this virus can’t spread when the patient isn’t symptomatic- it’s very common amongst other viruses and early evidence from China also suggested it.
Government departments entail a level of incompetence that wouldnt survive the private sector.
Keepcalmcarryon,
Incompetence would be a very accurate description.
The Ministry of Health have been adamant with their advice to everyone including schools, hospitals and passengers returning from Iran, China, United States, Italy etc etc etc. ONLY those displaying obvious symptoms can spread the virus. From day one here I’ve been shouting from the rooftops that this cornerstone of NZ defence and advice was 100% incorrect and would eventually make a bad situation even worse. It will also help destroy the all important confidence in any and all other advice coming from the Ministry of Health.
The way they have gone about cancelling Pacifika and the Christchurch memorial in terms of timing is best described as incompetent and farcical. Ardern haters will take great delight in blaming her but she is 100% innocent and relying entirely on expert advice from the Ministry of Health. Exactly the same situation would apply regardless of who was the PM. Fingers need to be pointed but they need to be pointed at the “eggspurts” at our Ministry of Health who are just fumbling around in the dark hoping their conclusions are correct as they sell them as being factual……even when they clearly are not.
Pacifika should have been postponed / cancelled 10 days before it finally was. The experts were in a slumber and everyone who was planning to attend paid the price for their rank incompetence of waiting until most participants had arrived before finally pulling the plug. Disgraceful. Similar incompetence on show in Christchurch. On Friday they showed Ardern on the news in Christchurch ready for the memorial. They absurdly claimed it was safe in Christchurch because the people with the virus were in Auckland. People would have been exasperated shouting at the TV. Haven’t they been told that people get on these things called planes and fly from Auckland to Christchurch? Were they too fucking stupid to grasp that many in the Muslim community were coming from Auckland to attend the memorial in Christchurch?
Then yesterday at the eleventh hour they finally pulled the plug. Reason given was that due to entry being free, it would be impossible to to track participants if there was an outbreak. Were they not aware of this situation previously? “Experts” ? yea right. The other one plays Jingle Bells. They are a farcical joke and have been exposed as such. All the patting each other on the back for “only 6 confirmed cases” is nauseating lies and incompetence. They make the Keystone Cops look like the most professional unit in history.
So we know the Ministry of Health are very comfortable to do the following.
1) Withhold critical information.
2) Use totally incorrect data as the cornerstone of NZ’s defence.
3) Lie to the NZ public.
4) Be inept and dramatically increase the negative impact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etlyvt9n_QE
Both cancellations were at the last minute and this must have cost stall holders an enormous lose. This is a tipical case of those in charge not being awear of the plight of the little business owner . Government and council staff will still draw their pay and live will go on . At a time like this we need leaders that can make the hard calls to limit the effect to those hurting
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