Auckland will officially join the rest of the country at Alert Level 1 tomorrow night, yet some are concerned the city’s Covid-19 restrictions are being loosened too much.
The move means concerts, sporting events ( including the Bledisloe test at Eden Park ) and other large gatherings are back on, but people are being warned not to fall back into complacency over the virus.
With use of the Covid-19 tracer app already declining by half over the past week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is urging people to continue using it at Level 1. She says such tracking of movements is key to halting any future outbreaks.
And while masks on public transport will no longer be mandatory, officials are still encouraging people to wear them. However, some public health experts argue masks should be required on public transport at all levels .
Despite those concerns, businesses and the hospitality sector are ecstatic about Auckland’s return to Level 1.
Ardern acknowledged many had found the second wave of the virus harder to get through , but “we put our heads down and we got on with it”.
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Emotional scenes at Lake Ōhau
Fire crews have worked through the night to manage any flare-ups of the blaze that tore through Lake Ōhau over the weekend, destroying dozens of homes.
Residents who were forced to flee when the fire broke out made an emotional return to the village yesterday as shocking new footage revealed the scale of the destruction in the area.
Stories emerged throughout the day about hurried escapes from the flames, with a dog and its owner being credited for almost certainly saving many lives .
The blaze perimeter now stretches across 40 kilometres of land, however strong winds are expected to ease and fire crews are predicting they’ll have 50 per cent control of the fire by this evening.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and authorities are asking anyone who took photos or videos of it in the early hours of Sunday to come forward.
Trump courts controversy
As the White House Covid-19 cluster continues to grow with press secretary Kayleigh McEnany the latest Republican to test positive for the virus, President Donald Trump has shocked many by briefly leaving hospital for a surprise drive-by to wave at supporters.
Some medical experts declared the move as “insanity” , saying hospital staff and Secret Service agents would have been put at unnecessary risk for the stunt.
The Washington Post reports the President’s physician, Dr Sean Conley, is also coming under intense criticism for initially delivering rosy updates about Trump’s health without disclosing his treatment with supplemental oxygen and steroids usually reserved for severely ill patients.
National reveals housing policy
It was another busy day on the election campaign trail with National releasing a housing policy aimed at supporting social housing tenants with purchasing a home. The rent-to-own scheme is estimated to cost $480 million over five years.
The party also plans to introduce a three-strike system for “anti-social behaviour” in social housing and force councils to permit more housing, should they be elected to government.
Judith Collins was also discussing the party’s plans to reinstate 90-day trials yesterday, saying the move gives employers confidence to “give people a go”, including people from “different ethnicities” .
A spokesperson for Collins later said she was "making the point that unconscious bias can lead to people making employment choices based on what they think they know about someone".
Taking aim at conversion therapy
Meanwhile, Labour has committed to banning conversion therapy should the party be re-elected.
The controversial practice, in which practitioners attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation, is currently legal in New Zealand.
Labour spokesperson Tāmati Coffey says the practice is “fundamentally wrong”.
The party is also promising to review New Zealand’s adoption and surrogacy policies “with a view to removing discriminatory practices".
How to break up with an app?
Breaking up with someone is hard enough but breaking up with a dating app has caused one Nelson woman a whole other drama.
Jacquie Walters told Fair Go she recently signed up to ‘Singles50’ but soon found it difficult to extricate herself from the service – and its fees – when she decided it wasn’t for her.
Fair Go has some tips for how to do exactly that should anyone else want to opt out of similar subscription services.
Other news of note this morning:
- All bars in Paris are shutting their doors for two weeks as the French government attempts to stem the spread of Covid-19 there.
- As complaints roll in about New Zealand’s new managed isolation allocation system, figures show nearly nine out of 10 applications to waive managed isolation charges have been approved so far.
- A new covered, 25,000-seat stadium in Christchurch has taken another step forward , while Auckland’s Eden Park is reportedly set for a name change .
- Staff say the deliberate cutting of a hole in a fence at Wellington's Zealandia wildlife sanctuary is “extremely upsetting”.
- Seven Sharp investigates why jaywalking is still a crime in New Zealand.
- And Jacinda Ardern has responded to a satirical impression of her on a UK TV show, saying she was surprised by its emphasis on ginger crunch .
And finally...
Seven Sharp’s political baker has struck again.
After serving up a slice of David Seymour and Marama Davidson on the campaign trail, Laura Daniel has now created a cake version of National’s Judith Collins, complete with a shiny new road made of ‘gravel’ icing.
You can watch Collins deliver her verdict on the “Crusher Cake” – and offer up some wild bribes in return for Daniel’s party vote – here .
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