The country is about to learn whether or not current lockdown restrictions can be loosened in a move down to Level 3 of the Covid-19 alert system.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Cabinet will meet at the earlier time of 10.30am today to deliberate the issue, with their decision set to be revealed at 4pm .
It’s a decision crucial to the success of New Zealand’s aim to stamp the coronavirus out within our borders and is based on four pillars outlined by Ms Ardern yesterday .
The first of these is establishing that community transmission of the virus is unlikely. Secondly, the country needs “gold standard” contact tracing. Cabinet will also look at issues around border security and quarantine controls, as well as whether or not the health system has the capacity to cope with what’s still to come.
Ms Ardern says all of the above will also be weighed up with the effects of the lockdown measures on the economy and wider society – but she adds that whatever the decision is today, life still won’t return to what it was, pre-Covid-19.
Today’s lockdown announcement will air live at 4pm on TVNZ1, online on 1NEWS.co.nz and on the 1 NEWS Facebook page. The usual 1pm Ministry of Health press conference is not scheduled for today.
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Data critical to case for Level 3
As mentioned above, the criteria for moving to Level 3 hinges on many things, including data that can give reasonable certainty around the community transmission of Covid-19.
New Zealand’s total number of coronavirus cases increased by nine yesterday, with a man who died last Tuesday in Invercargill confirmed as a Covid-19 victim. His was the country’s first coronavirus death outside of hospital .
Wider community testing for Covid-19 has now taken place in Queenstown , Waikato and Auckland , with such targeted testing to continue as part of the ongoing surveillance of the virus’ spread.
The Prime Minister is urging anyone with the slightest sniffle or sore throat to get themselves tested, so as to firm up the country’s contact tracing regime.
Ms Ardern has also asked Kiwis to start keeping a diary of their movements, saying a quick note each day about where they’ve been and who they were with could be crucial for tracing movements further down the line.
ECE centres fight to stay shut
Early childhood educators are voicing concerns over potentially reopening their doors, should New Zealand move to Level 3.
In an open letter to the Prime Minister last night , the Early Childhood Council said centres should remain closed until Level 2.
The letter says their main concern is the threat of spreading the coronavirus, with the level of social distancing required impossible.
“It is impossible to prevent teething infants from putting toys in their mouths just as much as it is impossible to prevent an 18-month-old from breaching their bubble in the playground,” the letter says.
The Herald reports three babies have caught Covid-19 in New Zealand so far, dispelling the myth that young children can’t get the virus.
And in case you missed it over the weekend, there’s been some clarification to the guidelines over children going back to school under Alert Level 3.
The Ministry of Education says only children who can’t be cared for at home and don’t have access to distance learning will return to the classroom. School entry times and break times will also be staggered.
More information on the guidelines can be found here .
Lockdown struggles continue
Families who were already doing it tough in lower income areas are experiencing further hardship during the Level 4 lockdown.
Food and education are two things that keep coming up short for many, with support services struggling to keep up with demand.
Māngere Budgeting Services, for example, say they have people queuing outside their doors well before 6am each day.
The chair of the Wellingon Regional Healthy Housing Group also says housing inequities are being highlighted by the Covid-19 situation.
Dr Roger Blakeley says the lockdown has shown that “being at home is not as safe for some as it is for others”. He says the Government needs to “prioritise warm, dry, safe housing for all”.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus has had other wide-ranging ramifications for immunocompromised Kiwis.
TVNZ’s Sunday programme has found people with a range of rare illnesses are struggling after drops in donations to their fundraising pages for medicines not covered by Pharmac.
The cashflow decline is being blamed on current economic uncertainty.
Other families who had been planning to leave New Zealand for better access to certain medicines are also now struggling, due to the new travel restrictions.
Protests and eight-hour concerts
The weekend has seen a variety of developments in the battle against Covid-19 around the world.
While anti-lockdown protests spread across the US, President Donald Trump warned that China should face consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the pandemic. Australia has joined those calls for an investigation into the outbreak in China.
Meanwhile, hospitals in Japan are turning away sick people as the country struggles with surging coronavirus infections . One recent case saw an ambulance carrying a man with a fever and breathing difficulties rejected by 80 hospitals.
And a group representing Japan’s homeless is asking to use the Athletes Village for next year's Tokyo Olympics as a shelter during the coronavirus pandemic.
In slightly better news, Spanish children who have been kept indoors since March 14, will be allowed to “get some fresh air” from next week.
And you know what they say - you can’t have a global crisis without some celebrities getting together for a big concert, which is exactly what happened at yesterday’s One World: Together at Home extravaganza.
Some of the biggest names in music, including Lady Gaga, Sir Paul McCartney and Billie Eilish, performed songs from their homes during the eight-hour show.
The Rolling Stones even managed to play together from four separate locations – even if drummer Charlie Watts did have to resort to air drums .
Other news of note this morning:
A man has died after being electrocuted at an address in the Waikato last night, while another person is in a serious condition.
Newly pregnant women are being reminded how important antenatal care is for the wellbeing of their unborn babies, after GPs and midwives noticed a drop in demand for early pregnancy care during lockdown.
Many of the country’s zoos are feeling the pressure during lockdown , as the income they bring in from entry fees disappears.
A clinical psychologist has assured parents that most children won’t suffer long-term emotional harm as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown.
With the Warriors under pressure to arrive in Australia by May 14 for the resumption of the NRL, the Prime Minister’s office has told 1 NEWS the team doesn’t need permission to leave NZ.
And local beer brewers are having to come up with ways to keep their businesses afloat, with thousands of litres of beer sitting in kegs across the country at risk of going down the drain .
And finally...
While we wait to see if this week brings the end to Level 4 restrictions, Re: has asked a variety of Kiwis how they’re feeling about life in lockdown – and a surprising number of people are enjoying it .
From the peace and quiet to spending more time with their family, they’re quite happy with how things are.
However, Re: also found a few people struggling through isolation. From the peace and quiet to spending more time with their family, they can’t wait to see the back of lockdown...
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