2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

Forums › Health and fitness › 2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

1 | ... | 1319 | 1320 | 1321 | 1322 | 1323 | 1324 | 1325 | 1326 | 1327 | 1328 | 1329 | ... | 2422

896 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#2713152 26-May-2021 12:32

sbiddle: What's concerning for me is the revelation there are people who have managed to transit Aussie on green flights.

Do you have more details around this? Or a link?

Oblivian

7296 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2713159 26-May-2021 12:49

duckDecoy:
sbiddle: What's concerning for me is the revelation there are people who have managed to transit Aussie on green flights.

Do you have more details around this? Or a link?

Presumably referring the chap from Perth-syd-akl. Just booked a domestic on alternative airline once theirs cancelled. Unless locked up tight, can do similar hopping the border and flying out of an open port. Domestic flights aren't impacted as yet.

Or there's a rather large hole that's needing a plug

cshwone

1070 posts

Uber Geek

#2713161 26-May-2021 12:55

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/125250593/super-rugby-highlanders-confident-rebels-game-will-go-ahead-despite-bubble-pause

"The Rebels were due to land in Queenstown on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's match, but will now head to Sydney later today and will fly on Saturday."

This is really making a mockery of the bubble arrangements being suspended.

tdgeek

29740 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2713169 26-May-2021 13:28

The vaccine is pushed back a few weeks due to supply issues from Pfizer. The journo's keep asking over and over is this a fail. Hopeless. Maybe in February when thew vaccines guides were advised, perhaps MoH should have said, "don't know the exact date or the exact number"

wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#2713170 26-May-2021 13:29

cshwone:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/125250593/super-rugby-highlanders-confident-rebels-game-will-go-ahead-despite-bubble-pause

"The Rebels were due to land in Queenstown on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's match, but will now head to Sydney later today and will fly on Saturday."

This is really making a mockery of the bubble arrangements being suspended.

Oh No they won't ...

They have obviously thought its just a block on flights from VIC, Its not....

its a stop on people who have been IN VIC since 6pm 25th May 2021 (AEST)

"(2) The condition is that the person has not been in the State of Victoria, Australia at or after 7.59 pm on 25 May 2021 (New Zealand time).
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2021/0115/latest/whole.html?search=y_regulation_2021__rc%40rinf%40rnif%40raif_an%40bn%40rc_25_y&p=1#LMS498901

Its the same thing that caught people from Byron bay trying to fly out of the Gold Coast during the NSW pause...

EDIT: Hipkins directly addressed this in his presser, and stated that they should not travel until the future of the "Pause" is decided, and that if they were IN Victoria when the pause came into effect they would not be able to travel unless it was lifted....

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#2713171 26-May-2021 13:32

duckDecoy:
sbiddle: What's concerning for me is the revelation there are people who have managed to transit Aussie on green flights.

Do you have more details around this? Or a link?

Was on RNZ news this morning but I can't see a subsequent story. National got the answer under OIA, think it's (from memory) 5 people who have done this.

cshwone

1070 posts

Uber Geek

#2713175 26-May-2021 13:47

wellygary:

cshwone:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/125250593/super-rugby-highlanders-confident-rebels-game-will-go-ahead-despite-bubble-pause

"The Rebels were due to land in Queenstown on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's match, but will now head to Sydney later today and will fly on Saturday."

This is really making a mockery of the bubble arrangements being suspended.

Oh No they won't ...

They have obviously thought its just a block on flights from VIC, Its not....

its a stop on people who have been IN VIC since 6pm 25th May 2021 (AEST)

"(2) The condition is that the person has not been in the State of Victoria, Australia at or after 7.59 pm on 25 May 2021 (New Zealand time).
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2021/0115/latest/whole.html?search=y_regulation_2021__rc%40rinf%40rnif%40raif_an%40bn%40rc_25_y&p=1#LMS498901

Its the same thing that caught people from Byron bay trying to fly out of the Gold Coast during the NSW pause...

Change of story:

"The Rebels were due to land in Queenstown on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's match but that won’t happen without a government exemption following New Zealand’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins placing a pause on quarantine-free travel with Victoria for 72 hours from 7.59pm NZT Tuesday."

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#2713180 26-May-2021 13:54

cshwone:

Change of story:

"The Rebels were due to land in Queenstown on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's match but that won’t happen without a government exemption following New Zealand’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins placing a pause on quarantine-free travel with Victoria for 72 hours from 7.59pm NZT Tuesday."

without a government exemption

Well I can tell you now if the Victoria outbreak is still going and the pause is extended, there would be a hope in H@ll of the govt granting an exemption...

Also It might even derail Scomo's visit is if really gets worse... the last time he left the country was for an Hawaiian holiday during the bush fires,

it didn't play well that he was off overseas while there was trouble at home...

Handle9

11386 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2713219 26-May-2021 14:41

tdgeek:
The vaccine is pushed back a few weeks due to supply issues from Pfizer. The journo's keep asking over and over is this a fail. Hopeless. Maybe in February when thew vaccines guides were advised, perhaps MoH should have said, "don't know the exact date or the exact number"

If you don't want to listen to repetitive or sometimes inane questions don't watch news conferences. Politicians are professional obfuscators and journalists need to get an on the record answer to questions that seem dumb in isolation.

Handle9

11386 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2713220 26-May-2021 14:43

Batman: Of course there will be a good risk but only to those in close proximity. Virus doesn't care if its indoors or outdoors. If there are enough virus particles eg explosive cough, wipe nose with back of hand etc virus will jump. But not to the whole stadium just the guy next to him

Outdoor transmission is hugely less likely than indoor transmission. The virus does care about being outside, it doesn't survive that well outdoors.

A stadium is worst case for outdoor transmission, this will be a fairly important data point for transmission data.

duckDecoy

896 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#2713221 26-May-2021 14:44

Handle9:
tdgeek:

The vaccine is pushed back a few weeks due to supply issues from Pfizer. The journo's keep asking over and over is this a fail. Hopeless. Maybe in February when thew vaccines guides were advised, perhaps MoH should have said, "don't know the exact date or the exact number"

If you don't want to listen to repetitive or sometimes inane questions don't watch news conferences. Politicians are professional obfuscators and journalists need to get an on the record answer to questions that seem dumb in isolation.

I'd like to see a journo ask about why each week the published targets keep changing. I guess its easy to say we're on target if the targets can be moved (for example this week the target reduced).

Scott3

3963 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2713228 26-May-2021 14:59

cshwone:

Change of story:

"The Rebels were due to land in Queenstown on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's match but that won’t happen without a government exemption following New Zealand’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins placing a pause on quarantine-free travel with Victoria for 72 hours from 7.59pm NZT Tuesday."

Not sure how previous versions of the story read, but it now reads that the move from Melbourne to Sydney was because of the presence of a direct SYD to Queenstown flight with timing that allowed the team to make the Sunday game in the event that the 72hr pause was lifted when it expires (rather than to evade the pause...). Obviously today's events mean an extension of the pause is probable...

Also getting out of Melbourne fit's with there contingency plan to play the Rebels in Sydney. No idea how the NSW authorities feel about sports teams traveling to their state to play games avoiding Melbourne's Covid-19 restrictions...

In the event that the Melbourne pause runs for many weeks, there is some chance that people that have been outside the city for 2+ weeks will be allowed to come back to NZ too.

ezbee

2405 posts

Uber Geek

#2713297 26-May-2021 15:15

Well problem as I see it is Pfizer is in increasingly hot demand Globally by countries with much more influence than little old us.
Then anyone that might have extra is being strongly encouraged to release supplies to countries in most dire need.
There is a long list of countries that have not even got essential medical staff covered.
It would be hard to argue against this.

Even China has signed up for 100M Pfizer doses.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/432984/deal-secures-100m-doses-of-biontech-vaccine-for-china

Never mind the problems of limited production capability, sites that can meet certifications, precursor materials, perhaps even syringes and such.

We have pretty much zero leverage, potentially worse supply if we shame Pfizer.
So for press and morning radio its a bit like shooting fish in a barrel.

We had no active continuing outbreak, prissy re sharing ( privacy and all ), our data of modest value anyway, so already way down the leverage list.
Even now data on performance against new variants is important, and we don't have those ( we know of ) in the wild.
So lucky if we can only get modest delays.

tdgeek

29740 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2713300 26-May-2021 15:18

duckDecoy:

I'd like to see a journo ask about why each week the published targets keep changing. I guess its easy to say we're on target if the targets can be moved (for example this week the target reduced).

They did I think, twice. My issue is that its fine if politicians try to skirt around an issue, that's fair game. Today the issue was the vaccine rollout is pushing out a few weeks. The simple facts are that the July target was set February. Pfizer are delivering what they said they will, so the target date has been unchanged. What Pfizer will deliver in July onwards has not been advised, and there is stress on all producers at that time, so its not possible to say with certainty what post 1 July will be, so they have pushed it out. Just a few basic simple facts for this one issue, yet it was repeated over and over again, including "grinding to a halt" Im not aware the rollout is grinding to a halt in July. Its news or it's sensationalism. Who knows what the general populous thinks, or they have probably given up caring when half of the commentary is game playing

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79250 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#2713305 26-May-2021 15:36

Press release:

More than 1400 of New Zealand’s border workers can look forward to less invasive testing for COVID-19, with an expansion of saliva testing at key frontline facilities, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says.

“This is an important next step in our mandatory testing of frontline border workers,” Chris Hipkins said.

“Saliva testing will complement the nasopharyngeal swab, which remains the gold standard for testing and which has played a key role in keeping New Zealand safe.

“Extensive due diligence has been completed and we are now satisfied that a combination of the two tests, along with frontline managed isolation workers being very close to being fully vaccinated, will continue to provide the assurances we need at the border while reducing the level of discomfort among frontline staff.

“What today’s announcement means is that workers who have to be tested for COVID-19 once a week because of their important roles, can now have saliva swabbing incorporated as part of that mandatory regime.

“As part of a phased roll-out beginning in June, these workers can choose to be part of a regime of multiple saliva tests, and a single nasopharyngeal swab each fortnight.

“We’re satisfied we’re starting the introduction of saliva testing at the right time but will move with caution to ensure compliance with the Border Workforce Testing Register.

“Compliance with the regime will be monitored via the Register and following the roll-out to the weekly groups, we’ll assess how the saliva testing programme is progressing.

“Border workers do tell us about a level of discomfort when they have to have a nasopharyngeal swab once a week,” Chris Hipkins said.

“And, with the border workforce now being vaccinated, they feel more protected and less likely to get infected -- but are also less likely to be symptomatic if they do.

“The addition of more frequent saliva testing is designed to address this. Expert advice is that will work well in detecting any cases in border workers when it’s carried out at an increased frequency and appropriately complemented by nasopharyngeal swabs.

“A phased roll-out will take place, with higher risk workers who are tested weekly, prioritised first.

“These workers can choose their testing regime to consist of a nasopharyngeal swab once every 14 days, instead of weekly. Saliva samples will be taken every two to three days in between nasopharyngeal swabs. This increased frequency will improve our surveillance.

“They also choose to maintain the weekly nasopharyngeal swab if they wish.

“Officials are working through what is needed to deliver this roll-out, including the necessary system changes, reporting and assurance activities and how to support both workers and employers to understand what the changes mean for them.

“As with all COVID-19 testing, processing will be carried out by appropriately accredited New Zealand laboratories.

“From the beginning, testing has been an essential part of our elimination strategy and the key starting point for identifying and containing the spread of COVID-19.

“Thank you to frontline workers and all New Zealanders who take COVID-19 tests. This really does help to keep New Zealand safe,” Chris Hipkins said.

Background:

Today’s announcement follows a Request for Proposal (RFP) for COVID-19 saliva testing services released by the Ministry of Health.

As a result of the RFP, the successful tenderer for the delivery of saliva testing services at the border is Asia Pacific Healthcare Group (APHG).

Asia Pacific Healthcare Group (APHG) provides a wide range of pathology services to 75 percent of New Zealand’s population and has a network of 25 laboratories and 150 collection centres.

They have been heavily involved in New Zealand’s response to COVID-19, processing a third of all tests carried out in New Zealand to date.

One of the Ministry’s considerations in awarding this contract was that the successful tenderer could independently provide the total service from the point of collection to providing automated notification for negative test results, without having to draw on the current health workforce.

1 | ... | 1319 | 1320 | 1321 | 1322 | 1323 | 1324 | 1325 | 1326 | 1327 | 1328 | 1329 | ... | 2422