As two mariners test positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Auckland, the Government faces fresh questions over how NZ will manage the threat of the virus in the future.
Two mariners who were in Auckland this week have tested positive for Covid-19 .
They arrived in the country on Monday before being transported to New Plymouth, where they boarded a deep-sea shipping vessel.
The pair are now isolating along with seven other mariners on the boat off the Taranaki coast. Three other contacts have been identified and are also now isolating.
This latest brush with Covid-19 comes as officials again field questions about how the country will deal with the virus in the future.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand won’t follow England’s lead and suddenly lift Covid-19 restrictions on a certain date.
He also says the Government is looking at longer-term options for managed isolation , given the need for such facilities will likely be ongoing.
It comes as New Zealand officials wait on evidence around vaccine efficacy in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 before considering any changes to MIQ requirements for vaccinated travellers .
Meanwhile, Fiji’s Covid crisis continues to escalate with 636 new cases of the virus and six more deaths recorded there yesterday.
The morgue is at full capacity, while the ICU at Suva’s main hospital is also full, with medical providers struggling to deal with serious cases. 1 NEWS Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has described the situation as “a tragedy of huge proportions that’s unfolding right before our eyes” .
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Nurses opt for more strikes
Thousands of nurses have voted to walk off the job again this month in the first of three planned strikes.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and the District Health Boards will return to the negotiating table next week ahead of the first 24-hour strike on July 29, with nurses warning a looming national health crisis is on the cards.
They say unless the DHBs offer a deal with better pay, improved sick leave, and safer staffing practices, more nurses will head overseas or leave the profession entirely.
The DHBs say they believe they can come up with an offer to settle the pay talks.
The NZNO told RNZ’s Checkpoint they have the full backing of the public in voting for strike action, because “they see every day what is actually going on for nurses”.
The proposed strike action looms as many hospitals around the country find themselves flooded with young patients suffering with the RSV virus.
There are warnings the flu-like disease is yet to peak, with Wellington Hospital’s child health service dedicating an entire ward to babies very sick with the virus.
Emergency housing demand climbs
A record number of Kiwi kids are now living in motels , despite the Government’s pledge to prioritise child poverty.
More than 4360 children were living in motels as of March 31, with that number jumping by nearly 500 in three months.
Meanwhile, the demand for emergency housing in Wellington has skyrocketed by 600 per cent over the past three years.
However, there’s hope yesterday’s opening of the capital’s largest transitional housing facility will alleviate some of that pressure.
The Tory Street building was once a backpackers before being refurbished as a boutique hotel that never eventuated, so Wellington City Mission is now using it for transitional housing for more than 100 people.
It comes as the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development says it’s pressing ahead with building more transitional housing so “we can reduce and eventually end our reliance on motels as a form of temporary accommodation”.
'Lights out' for hospitality industry
Around 2000 hospitality businesses took part in a nationwide “lights out” movement yesterday as the industry calls for urgent border exemptions for workers.
The campaign was a way of showing their frustrations at continuing problems with finding enough staff, with some restaurants closing temporarily and others having to reduce opening hours or service times.
National President of the Restaurant Association Mike Egan told 1 NEWS more restaurants will shut if nothing changes.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she’s heard the call from the sector and the Government is investigating what further help it can provide.
Competition hot in opposition
National is being accused of stealing ACT’s ideas as the two parties compete to be the main opposition voice.
The two parties appear to be in a turf war over holding the Government to account with a series of near identical press releases and ACT regularly jumping in on National’s questions in the House.
However, National leader Judith Collins is adamant her party is still the main voice of opposition.
Meanwhile, Greens co-leader James Shaw is being challenged for his job, with climate activist James Cockle set to vie for the position at the party’s AGM next month.
Shaw says he’s “quietly confident” he’ll stay on as co-leader.
Other news of note this morning:
- Sydney’s lockdown is expected to continue for another week , with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian making an announcement later today.
- Defence Minister Peeni Henare says the Government is keeping a close eye on the situation unfolding in Afghanistan .
- Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will be able to cover the costs of superannuation without raising the age of entitlement, despite a Treasury report flagging unsustainable future debt .
- Hundreds in Otago are still without power as severe weather lashed much of the deep south overnight.
- There are calls for greater resourcing of schools to help tackle an escalating crisis around cyber-bullying .
- An argument against the legality of last year’s Covid-19 lockdown is being heard in the Court of Appeal.
- And Queenstown is hoping a new campaign will help diversify its economy away from solely relying on tourism.
And finally...
Seven Sharp’s Hilary Barry and Jeremy Wells are seemingly not content with just presenting half an hour of infotainment every weeknight, with both co-hosts also venturing into game show territory.
Wells is back in his Taskmaster seat from tonight as another five comedians struggle through a series of ridiculous tasks, while Barry is joining comedian Tom Sainsbury and former MP Paula Bennett in a reboot of Give Us A Clue .
The revived version of the popular British charades game show will see Barry and Sainsbury competing against each other with their respective teams of local celebrities. You can find out how well they go with not being allowed to talk later this year.
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