Australia has confirmed its first locally-contracted cases of the coronavirus, including a doctor in a Sydney hospital and the sister of a man who had returned to the country from Iran with the disease.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s health authorities are expected to deliver the results of two more Kiwis tested for Covid-19 later today. The two people were tested after fitting the travel criteria and presenting with symptoms consistent with the virus.
But as the country awaits those results, the Dominion Post reports people with coronavirus-type symptoms are being turned away from testing at Wellington Hospital.
A senior doctor spoke to Stuff anonymously , saying those patients were not tested because they didn’t fit strict Ministry of Health criteria for a suspected case, despite having travelled to countries with “instances of apparent community coronavirus spread”.
The doctor says the opportunity to limit or delay the spread of Covid-19 in New Zealand is being missed.
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A different kind of outbreak
As the coronavirus continues its spread around the globe, so too does the rapid dissemination of rumours and falsehoods about the disease.
Ever since news of the virus first emerged from China, conspiracy theories about its origins and its transmission have abounded – and as this analysis from CNN’s Nectar Gan shows, Chinese authorities are finding it a challenge to combat harmful disinformation.
And it’s not just China that’s grappling with the danger of coronavirus rumours. As the Washington Post reports , that rumour mill and a lack of communication by officials has caused chaos in Alabama, where quarantined patients had been due to be relocated.
Vulnerable Kiwis failed?
The lawyer of a New Zealand man found with thousands of prescription pills in Bali has criticised our health system .
Thomas Daly is currently being held by Bali authorities over the prescription drugs, which his lawyer, John McLeod, says he was prescribed for his many health issues, including schizophrenia and diabetes.
Mr McLeod says Mr Daly was supplied with a year’s worth of his medications to cover his months-long trip. However, there is criticism of the New Zealand health system for prescribing so many drugs at once.
“The duty of the community to protect our vulnerable people, I think we have failed on this occasion,” Mr McLeod said.
Meanwhile, the care of another vulnerable Kiwi was also in the spotlight yesterday, with a rest home and three nurses being criticised for failing to properly care for a resident with Alzheimer's disease.
The elderly woman fell twice and later died after suffering a brain bleed. Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall says there were several failings in the rest home’s care of the woman.
A big headache for tiny houses
They’re often touted as a solution to New Zealand’s ongoing housing problem, but the business of tiny houses is one that often finds itself tangled in bureaucratic red tape.
The issues stem from how local councils choose to interpret the Building Act – and whether or not tiny houses need to comply with it.
At the moment, each council can decide its own rules, meaning someone in one part of the country may face significant bills to get compliance for their tiny house, while somebody else in a different region may not.
In this in-depth feature , Fair Go’s Gill Higgins looks at the confusion and heartache that can go into building a tiny house in New Zealand.
Other news of note this morning:
The problems are piling up for drought-hit Hawke's Bay farmers, as they also battle a fresh outbreak of bovine tuberculosis.
A Kiwi truck driver who’s gone viral in Australia for stopping a robbery has talked about his “surreal” new fame.
The White Ferns have been knocked out of the Twenty20 World Cup after falling four runs short against Australia.
And is it time Aotearoa got a standardised scoop of that quintessential favourite, the hot chip? Fair Go investigates the hot button issue.
And finally...
Ever wondered about the time and effort that goes into creating a drag queen’s look? Seven Sharp sent Laura Daniel along to meet the stars of House of Drag to find out – and to break out her own signature death drop (obviously).
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