Tania Roxborogh, an author of more than 30 books - and last year's winner of New Zealand's top award for junior fiction - has urged Jacinda Ardern not to drop Covid-19 measures. Photo / Supplied
Tania Roxborogh, an author of more than 30 books - and last year's winner of New Zealand's top award for junior fiction - has urged Jacinda Ardern not to drop Covid-19 measures. Photo / Supplied
An award-winning Kiwi writer battling to recover from Covid is urging the Government to persevere with the traffic light settings as a total of 1149 new Covid cases are reported today.
Tania Roxborogh – an author of more than 30 books, and last year's winner of NewZealand's top award for junior fiction – was motivated to contact Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern directly after hearing from fellow teachers who'd been infected several times, while still dealing with after-effects herself.
"I've been severely impacted by catching Covid and I don't want to catch it again ... and I just think wearing masks is such a simple thing to do," she told the Herald today.
Roxborogh's call comes as Cabinet meets today to consider scrapping the traffic light system.
The seven-day rolling average of cases today is 1480 while last Monday, it was 1778, the Ministry of Health said in today's update.
There are 225 people in hospital with the virus, including three in intensive care. The seven-day rolling average of hospitalisations today is 241; last Monday, it was 273.
A further six Covid-related deaths have been reported, including three people aged in their 80s and three in their 90s.
One person was from Auckland, two were from Bay of Plenty and three were from Wellington.
In the past seven days, there have been an average of five deaths confirmed each day as being attributable to Covid, the ministry said.
There has been a total of 1950 deaths confirmed as attributable to the virus (either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor).
Today's 225 people in hospital are being treated at Northland (one), Waitematā (46), Counties Manukau (28), Auckland (36), Waikato (18), Bay of Plenty (three), Lakes (three), Hawke's Bay (one), MidCentral (eight), Whanganui (one), Taranaki (one), Wairarapa (six), Capital & Coast (13), Hutt Valley (10), Nelson Marlborough (four), Canterbury (37), West Coast (one), South Canterbury (one) and Southern (seven).
'Hold your nerve. Listen to the experts'
In a letter she emailed Ardern's office over the weekend, the Canterbury-based teacher, currently on study leave, described the impact Covid-19 had had on her and her family.
"I worry about the impact on our finances, our ability to support our children and our elderly mothers," she said.
"We are one family impacted by Covid but we are an example of many - loss of productivity; decline in quality of life.
"We do not know enough about the ongoing impacts of Covid on their young bodies and minds although the reports coming in are grim."
She signed the letter off: "Hold your nerve. Listen to the experts in health. Do not be swayed by the clarion call for more freedom. I want to feel safe in my country again."
Here's my email to the PM Tēnā koe, Prime Minister
Firstly, thank you for all the work you do on behalf of the country. I am so very grateful for your leadership, example, and your wisdom. 1/9
The Aucklander is also now battling chronic Long Covid symptoms, ranging from heart palpitations to insomnia and anxiety.
While other countries have established clinical support systems for "long-haulers" like himself, Gao said there was still little help available for him in New Zealand, where he's a permanent resident.
"I feel depressed and frustrated. I have insomnia that keeps me up at night – but I also need to be able to pay the mortgage."
But Gao was also worried about what an easing of Covid-19 health measures – as is expected to be announced later today – will mean for vulnerable people like himself.
"I'm scared of reinfection."
As Covid-19 case numbers have fallen away substantially since the winter Omicron wave's mid-July peak, various sector groups and Opposition leaders have called for New Zealand to join other countries in moving away from health restrictions.
University of Auckland immunologist Dr Anna Brooks said it was encouraging to see case numbers coming down, but added this didn't mean the pandemic was over.
"We've been in a position where there have been protections in place, such as masking recommendations in high-risk environments," said Brooks, who has been leading a research programme focused on Long Covid.
"The fact they may disappear soon is pretty disconcerting to those who haven't yet recovered – or those people who are vulnerable to long-term impacts if they do get infected.
"So, it's a pretty distressing time for these people. Yes, everyone wants a new sense of normality – but nobody who's vulnerable ever asked to be in that position."
Even after a now-large body of research highlighting a worryingly-large range of long-lasting post-infection symptoms – from debilitating fatigue and heart problems to brain fog and depression – Brooks was concerned there remained a lack of awareness or concern about Long Covid.
Auckland teacher Jerry Gao, 34, described himself as sporty and energetic before a Covid-19 infection left him with chronic, ongoing symptoms. Photo / Supplied
"And repeat infections do increase long-term risks," she said.
"We just want the message out there for people not to pretend that the pandemic is over, because it's not – we need to keep on our toes and we don't know what's yet to come."
Otago University epidemiologist Dr Amanda Kvalsvig noted earlier this month that, for people at high risk of the virus, removing restrictions would mean the exact opposite.
"Removal of protections will further restrict the number of places that they can safely access," she said.
"Framing the setting change as reducing restrictions and creating freedom is ableist and it isn't a meaningful aim during an active pandemic.
"Even at lower case numbers, Covid-19 remains a highly infectious pathogen that can cause serious health complications."
University of Auckland infectious diseases expert Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles has said that, if measures like masking are removed, they should be replaced with other measures, such as improvements to ventilation and public reporting on air quality, so people knew those were safe spaces to be in.
"Much as we all wish Covid-19 was over, it isn't, and we should be using the time between waves to strengthen our protections," she said.
"We will reap the benefits in the long run."
Kvalsvig and others have called on the Government to put in place a new and upgraded system that could support New Zealand's Covid-19 response over the longer term.
