With New Zealand’s coronavirus case numbers continuing an encouraging downward trend, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has urged Kiwis to stick to their isolation efforts.
Ms Ardern reiterated yesterday that there would be no early exit from the current Level 4 lockdown, with the decision on lifting it due next Monday, April 20.
As she asked Kiwis to “please stay home”, she used an analogy from Sport Minister Grant Robertson: “You can't squander a strong half time lead by letting up or getting overly confident.”
And as the Government ponders how and when to exit the Level 4 lockdown, Ms Ardern says she’s “very aware of the need to get more of our economy running as soon as possible”.
Treasury is due to release a range of economic scenarios today, while details on which businesses will be allowed to reopen and when following lockdown will be revealed on Thursday.
But there’s no relaxation of the current strict border controls on the cards as yet.
With the goal being to resume “everyday life” in New Zealand, Ms Ardern says the fastest way to achieve that is by maintaining border restrictions.
There have been suggestions that New Zealand and Australia should begin planning to resume trans-Tasman travel , however Ms Ardern says that conversation “will be a way off” .
"With a strategy like ours, we can have no tolerance for someone potentially coming in with Covid-19 and setting off a chain of events that could be devastating.”
Sign up to get the Morning Briefing delivered direct to your inbox – here.
Grave concerns for rest home cluster
With a third person from Christchurch’s Rosewood rest home succumbing to Covid-19 yesterday , Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has spoken of the concern for the group of 33 staff and residents infected with the virus there.
"We know that because of the underlying vulnerabilities of new members of this group, we need to be prepared for further serious illness and possible deaths," he says.
A woman whose father is a resident at the rest home has praised the staff dealing with the Covid-19 situation.
Mandi Lawrence told 1 NEWS she knows how hard they worked to try and prevent the outbreak, “and for this to actually happen to them, it’s heart-wrenching”.
Rest homes around the world have been particularly vulnerable throughout the coronavirus pandemic, with a new cluster of cases also revealed in an Auckland aged care facility yesterday.
Rest home outbreaks have become a particular concern in the US, too, where the Associated Press estimates more than 3600 nursing home deaths have been linked to the virus.
Fielding the public’s questions
Dr Bloomfield, now a household name thanks to his clear, calm communication during the coronavirus pandemic (and already an apparent frontrunner for New Zealander of the Year ), took the time to answer the public’s questions via the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page yesterday afternoon.
Amongst other things, Dr Bloomfield said the Government is “actively looking at” relaxing the current rules around people visiting dying family members during the pandemic.
He also addressed one person’s question about eating four onions a day so as to keep Covid-19 at bay.
While Dr Bloomfield says there is no evidence for or against such a measure, “if you ate four onions a day, you'd probably find it hard to get anyone inside your bubble to kiss you”.
More good news for stranded Kiwis
The Government has announced its latest repatriation efforts for Kiwis left stranded by the coronavirus pandemic, with flights planned for those stuck in India.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters says it’s a “seriously complex” mission , however “very good progress” is being made in the discussion with airlines and international partners to get those New Zealanders home.
Meanwhile, details of a new exemption scheme have been revealed that could allow some people who are not citizens or residents to travel to New Zealand.
Thousands of people on work visas, but currently stuck overseas, may be able to apply for the travel exemption.
The three main categories are for essential workers, Tongan or Samoan citizens if they can prove exceptional circumstances, and those travelling on humanitarian grounds.
An eerie Easter around the world
The coronavirus pandemic made for some eerie scenes around the world as the most important dates in the Christian calendar passed during lockdown.
Pope Francis held the traditional Easter vigil, but in a virtually empty St Peter’s Basilica .
Meanwhile, over in another famous Italian landmark, tenor Andrea Bocelli sang in Milan’s empty Duomo Cathedral.
And the Queen recorded her first Easter message , where she said the message at the heart of the holy week was more relevant than ever.
‘Is that your Jenny?’
When the UK Prime Minister credits your daughter with helping save his life, you better believe your phone is going to start ringing.
And so it was in the McGee household yesterday when Kiwi nurse Jenny McGee was name-checked for her care of Boris Johnson in a London hospital.
Ms McGee’s parents told 1 NEWS last night they are “exceptionally proud” of her and acknowledged the work “our own nurses in New Zealand are doing and nurses and doctors are doing all around the world”.
Other news of note this morning:
The Government has launched three online tools , including an app developed by Sir John Kirwan, for Kiwis wanting to look after their mental wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the Whanganui District Health Board ramps up its Covid-19 testing after recording some of the lowest testing numbers nationally, a University of Otago researcher says people should be tested even if the loss of their sense of smell is their only symptom .
Watties says it needs around 200 more staff in order to continue producing the tinned foods that keep flying off supermarket shelves.
Screen Actors Guild Aotearoa president Brendon Durey says upwards of 5000 Kiwis in the local film and TV industry are now out of a job.
And Christchurch supermarket cougher Raymond Coombs is behind bars after breaching his bail conditions .
And finally...
Saturday Night Live has been an American institution for more than 40 years, but like the rest of us, the late-night sketch show has been on a coronavirus hiatus for the past month.
However, it made a surprise return to TV screens over the long weekend, coming “live from Zoom” with remotely-filmed skits.
Oscar winner and noted Covid-19 survivor Tom Hanks hosted the show from his LA home where he joked about being “the celebrity canary in the coal mine for the coronavirus”.
As this Time reviewer noted , many of the episode’s jokes fell flat.
But they added that the sheer effort in producing such a show “was unexpectedly moving”, while it highlighted life during lockdown: “The boredom, stir-craziness and sexual frustration. The anxiety. The ambient grief. And - lest we ever forget - the Zoom.”
SHARE ME