A large shipment of Pfizer vaccines arrives ahead of schedule, and as the trans-Tasman bubble kicks back into gear, questions are again asked over opening New Zealand's borders.
New Zealand’s largest shipment of Pfizer vaccines to date has arrived two days ahead of schedule .
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the shipment of 150,000 doses arrived yesterday afternoon, with staff working late last night to check and pack the vaccines ready for delivery around the country today.
It comes after Hipkins revealed last week New Zealand’s vaccine supply was almost at zero, an issue he admitted would be keeping him awake at night .
Another million Pfizer doses are due to arrive later this month as the country’s vaccine rollout begins to ramp up.
And while Kiwis await their Covid vaccine, testing people with symptoms of the virus continues to be vital for ensuring it isn’t circulating in the community – but new research shows many are choosing not to do so .
The study commissioned by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia revealed two-thirds of Kiwis surveyed didn’t get a Covid test despite having cold and flu symptoms in the past six months.
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Should we follow Australia's lead?
Meanwhile, New Zealand has again opened the door to parts of Australia, with quarantine-free travel resuming overnight from South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and the ACT.
Travellers arriving in New Zealand from those areas won’t need to go into managed isolation but will need a negative pre-departure Covid test. A decision on travel restrictions for Australia’s other four states is due tomorrow.
The partial reopening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble comes as a top scientist warns Kiwis will need to learn to live with Covid-19 one day.
Former Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman told TVNZ’s Q+A New Zealand needs to stay in step with Australia, which announced a four-stage plan for reopening its borders on Friday.
Their plan is linked to vaccination rates, with restrictions lifted as more of the population receives a jab. Gluckman argues New Zealand needs to move in a similar direction .
Chris Hipkins says the New Zealand Government has its own strategy for reconnecting with the world as more people get vaccinated.
Schools caught in cyber attack
Eleven schools across Aotearoa are believed to be affected by a global cyber attack.
One of those schools is St Peter's in Cambridge , which is now working to recover lost data.
They are just one of thousands of organisations that have been hit around the world after technology management firm Kaseya was targeted in the US ahead of Independence Day celebrations.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by ransomware syndicate REvil.
The Ministry of Education told 1 NEWS it’s working with affected schools here and will continue identifying any other schools that may have been impacted.
A medicinal cannabis crisis?
The Government is being accused of creating a medicinal cannabis crisis by imposing the strictest regulations in the world.
Families have told 1 NEWS they can’t access the products prescribed for their children because they’re repeatedly detained by officials at the border.
Many Kiwis are still relying on the black market to access their medicinal cannabis, however, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern denies the Government has made a mess of the situation.
She says if Kiwis are not able to access safe products to manage their medical needs, “then we will keep looking at the system we have created”.
Allan returns to Parliament
East Coast MP Kiri Allan is returning to Parliament today amid her ongoing battle with stage 3 cervical cancer.
She says while she still has some follow-up appointments following her treatment, she’s ready to get back to work.
That return will be gradual, with colleague Kris Faafoi retaining her Emergency Management portfolio for now.
And while Allan heads back to the Beehive, the health battles of her East Coast constituents have been examined on TVNZ’s Sunday show.
With people in the region dying younger than anywhere else in the country, the programme offered a rare insight into the challenges of accessing and delivering healthcare in some of New Zealand’s most remote communities.
Other news of note this morning:
- As Fiji records another 522 Covid-19 cases , a Kiwi doctor deployed to Suva says it feels like the community is “under siege” .
- A military plane has crashed in the southern Philippines, killing at least 45 people .
- Environmentalists have criticised Mexico’s state-owned oil company after a gas leak unleashed a fireball that appeared to boil the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
- New Zealand's MIQ booking system is being described as "inaccessible" and "discriminatory" by the blind community.
- An organisation supporting victims of sexual violence says the ACC Sensitive Claims process is "not really fit for purpose" .
- The Far North District Council says it’s cracking down on vehicles that don't have up-to-date warrants and registrations.
- And the NRL and New South Wales Police are investigating around a dozen St George Illawarra players who allegedly broke stay-at-home orders to attend a party .
And finally...
Have you ever wondered what song gives Prince Charles “an irresistible urge to get up and dance”? No? Well, I’ll tell you anyway.
The Prince of Wales has revealed some of his favourite songs as part of a special hospital radio show to thank NHS staff and he says Givin' Up, Givin' In by The Three Degrees always used to get him on the dancefloor.
Other songs on his list include those from Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and Edith Piaf.
A Spotify playlist with all the tracks has been shared by Clarence House. It’s nowhere near as extensive or carefully curated as John Campbell’s “secret” Spotify playlist , but you can listen to it here .
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