1. Good letter Frank as usual.

   Can we add our concerns here also please for the UNITE union’s workers cocerns posted yesterday please as it is also frought with a similar theme as the AIR NZ case is forused on today, with ‘bad planning for public and worker safety’

   https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/04/22/takeaways-under-level-3-not-so-fast/#comment-502294

   UNITE your concerns are very valid – you are so very right here.
   “It’s not an exaggeration to say that many fast food workers are genuinely in fear for their health and safety next week.” Yes UNITE you are so very right here.

   **Firstly Germany has made face marks completely mandatory as of today, as they reopen their lockdown, and we didn’t do this so we are very badly directed by the ministry of health and there ‘wonder boy’ “Director General” Andrew Bloomfield.

   **Jacinda was warned by us at CEAC back on 20th January to be ‘cautious; -https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2001/S00041/ceac-calls-for-ministry-of-health-to-be-cautious.htm ;-

   **But she is an obstinate individual and ignored our advice then, until she got her ‘arse kicked’ when WHO finally came clean and said it was an emergency pandemic and to begin “test,test, test” but the dumb arsed Ministry of health is still not ramping up “mass testing” as Germany, south Korea Taiwan and other successful countries have to control a very roust “track and trace” to protect us all.

   *****Jacinda is badly advised by the Ministry of health and is about to ‘come before a fall’ sadly.

   ******This virus is highly infectious as the aerosols that ‘infected people breath out’ will actually be blown by the wind at least up to (22 metres) – (or 10 times the distance than we are told now said to be safe) – to anyone around them and this fact will ‘infect many’ more.

   **So to be completely safe we as workers and customers MUST completely avoid any 2 metre contact and stay much further apart than the non-sensible 2 meters as the experts have now found that is far to close.

   **A word to the wise; Jacinda take note here NOW;

   **This virus is more serious than thought by the Word Health Organisation say four research laboratories.
   https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/121172972/coronavirus-is-not-behaving-in-the-air-the-way-scientists-expect

   Coronavirus is not behaving in the air the way scientists expect
   Sherryn Groch05:42, Apr 22 2020
   QUOTE “The virus behind the world’s Covid-19 pandemic can stay infectious in the air for more than 12 hours, early research out of four major US laboratories suggests, as more scientists warn it may have been underestimated by authorities such as the World Health Organisation.”

   • “It’s not an exaggeration to say that many fast food workers are genuinely in fear for their health and safety next week.”

     Indeed Cleangreen. Having worked in the fast-food industry in my younger days, I can imagine. Even at the best of times, there was always a tiny minority who thought that serving staff were paid to take customers’ abuse. (They were usually told to get lost and if they refused, the police called promptly.)

     If fast food places open (for drive through only, I hope), they will require security personnel to keep an eye on things. Knowing human nature. 99% of people will be the Good Sorts. It’s the remaining 1% that will be a problem.

     Fast food industry owners could make up, in part, by paying staff a bonus during the Level 3 period. Or gift vouchers. Something.

     It’s little things like that that put a smile of peoples’ faces and know they are valued.

2. Amazing letter!
   Sadly it will be brushed aside and ignored.
   Now I am seriously angry.
   All that goodwill JA built up…gone!

   • Thank you, Herman.

     Hopefully her comms people will notice it and bring it up.

     One thing I left out of my letter is the political aspect to this. The government has been exceedingly fortunate that this story has not “gained legs” and been taken up by other media. On top of which, this is something the Nats could really latch on to – I’m surprised they haven’t (thus far).

     If ever there was an issue for the Epidemic Response Committee to scrutinise, this is it.

3. While on the subject of Air NZ another story bon the radio yesterday was about how they are not reimbursing passengers booked on cancelled flights but only giving them a credit with a use by date . They will not let this credit be used to pay for internal flights. At a time when many are desperate for money this seems unfair and as they are 1/2 owned by the government a bad move .
   While I do not always agree with your opinion you are not one sided. and you shine a light on the faults of both parties

   • “While on the subject of Air NZ another story bon the radio yesterday was about how they are not reimbursing passengers booked on cancelled flights but only giving them a credit with a use by date”

     I heard Kris Faafoi on RNZ today, regarding pasengers’ flights cancelled by Air New Zealand and not being given a refund.

     Mr Faafoi’s responses were utterly inadequate. At several points I thought I was hearing a Minister from the previous government.

     “While I do not always agree with your opinion you are not one sided. and you shine a light on the faults of both parties”

     And I will continue to do so, Mr Sennitt.

     Should there be a re-infection, and gods-forbid, a fatality from a re-infection, traced back to Air New Zealand staff, then I will be calling for resignations. And from the highest position of responsibility. All because it was avoidable.

4. The reason that was given for not quarantining is that they didn’t seem to see it as being feasible. However with the recent stand-downs, they should be able to re-employ staff who had been let go, and to have everyone working on alternate rosters.

   As I wrote in an earlier comment, There are going to be so many people looking for work, surely those airlines still operating will be able to hire sufficient staff to allow them to work alternate shifts with quarantining between flights.

   There are trained and experienced pilots and cabin crew looking for jobs right now I think. Airlines have had huge layoffs, here and in Aus. So, it should be do-able.

   • There was something in the original story which alluded to that, Kheala;

     “Air NZ has sufficient surplus crew to accommodate a mandatory 14-day stand down between flight duties to allow for the virus incubation period. ”

     https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018743516/air-nz-silent-about-covid-19-cases-as-staff-fears-grow-over-quarantine-exemption

     With the vast number of flights cancelled; planes sitting idle; and staff without work, there should be sufficient personnel to crew current international flights.

     But even if there weren’t, should we consider that as an excuse? I submit, no.

5. A well presented case, as usual with your writing, Frank.

   The blatant hypocrisy and potentially lethal consequences of the current non-quarantine policy beggars belief.

   We have to wonder what is really at the bottom of this piece of nonsense, bordering on utter stupidity.

   We have known for a long time that air transport has, for a long time, been a golden child of governments throughout the world (no taxes on fuels, no accountability for CO2 emissions and other potentially life-threatening emissions) and that tourism has been pushed by governments to extreme levels, despite it being an entire consumptive activity with an appalling environmental profile.

   We also know that aircraft have no long term future anyway, due to depletion of oil reserves (peak conventional extraction was around 2007, and unsavory extraction methods such as those utilized in fracking and tar sands extraction are not viable long term), AND we have the urgent need to curtail unnecessary emissions (we are at over 416 ppm CO2, nearly 140 ppm above the pre-industrial level, and still rising at a rate unprecedented in the geological record, with dire consequences for almost everyone on this planet in the future).

   Indeed, tourism is simply a mechanism for shifting fiat currencies from one location (or one bank account) to another, with no lasting benefit to anyone involved. Oh, I forgot: jobs, jobs, jobs!

   The more we learn about Covid-19 the more scary it becomes, insofar as there appear to be multiple strains, and people who have apparently recovered may still be carrying it.

   Having suffered the very nasty effects of shingles, I can attest to the nastiness of some viruses: shingles is the re-emergence of the chickenpox virus that affects children, a virus that ‘lurks’ in the nervous system for decades and then ‘chooses its moment’ to attack again.

   So yes Frank, WTF??!!! with Jacinda (or who ever is pulling her strings).

   • “The more we learn about Covid-19 the more scary it becomes, insofar as there appear to be multiple strains, and people who have apparently recovered may still be carrying it.”

     Nailed it, AFKTT. The more discovered about this virus, the more dangerous it seems to be.

     The most pertinent is that a carrier of covid19 can be infectious TWO DAYS BEFORE BECOMING SYMPTOMATIC. That is especially troubling when it comes to to international flights. A flight crewmember could be infected by the time s/he returns from Shanghai or Los Angeles and transmitting virus particles before the first symptoms appears.

     That’s one very effective mode of transmission.

     So for Air New Zealand hierarchy to suggest they’ll take action when someone is symptomatic is grossly disingenuous. Their Medical Officer will be painfully aware of how this virus transmits.

     So continuing to travel overseas and not quarantine their flight crews is nothing less than gross negligence.

     If this was the US, Air New Zealand could face ruin through multi-million dollar lawsuits should anyone be infected.

     It’s two days since I heard that RNZ story, and I am still mightily pissed off.

6. Frank, Why not email copies of what you have written to all relevant MPs and to various members of the Press? (Try Tova, maybe 🙂 …she has a way of letting fly that gets results.)

   • Email addresses for all NZ govt ministers can be found at this link: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/

     I really do think that it would be worthwhile contacting them directly about this.

   • Damn, I must be getting soft in the brain, Kheala. I should’ve thought of that. (Thor knows I’ve done it enough times in the past…!)

     Thanks for prodding my ailing memory!

7. 100% Frank, I too have followed the rules to the letter.

   • Indeed, Gary. And churns the gut when reading about Air New Zealand’s management’s contemptuous attitude to this crisis…

     It puts a whole new meaning to privileged entitlement.

8. I note Australia is in stage 3 control of covid-19 with industry and commerce still ongoing and people allowed out with controls to suppress this virus and New Zealand is in stage 4 lockdown.
   New Zealand population 4814699 as opposed to Australia population of 25442397, a multiple of 5.284317254.
   So with the New Zealand death toll currently at 16 – Australia if on an equal par would have a death toll of 84, yet it only has a total of 74 (including approximately 25 from cruise ships).
   Why is Australia doing so much better than New Zealand? Especially considering it had its first infection 5 weeks before New Zealand so basically it has a 5 week head start on infections and deaths?

   • Hi Angus,

     If you want a clearer understanding of what’s happening in Aus then you need to look at each State or Territory separately. They differ considerably.

     This may be helpful, from the ABC 22nd April: Data – How Covid 19 Spreads in Australia
     The Age also has a daily state by state breakdown: http://www.theage.com.au

   • Good questions, Mr McLoud…

     No doubt there are theories or causes.

Comments are closed.