Letters: Elimination or opening, Māori vaccinations and the counsel of Richard Prebble

Is it time to reopen back up and get moving? Photo / Sylvie Whinray, File

Opinion

Stay the course, for everyone's sake

Australia's inability to have robust Covid controls created their pandemic. It is inescapable, like Europe and America, they have to adopt the herd immunity/vaccination path, with the associated cost of significant loss of life. No better way to legitimise their failure, than to lambast as folly what we are trying to achieve and they have not.
Interestingly, the 1918-19 Spanish flu, which killed around 50 million, started earlier. Its pathogenesis created a strain that was fatal to the young population, who rarely have significant issues with flu. This is because there was, like now, no immunity to the unique strain. Immunity is the key to future normal engagement in society, local and global. To create this with the lowest human cost is our moral and ethical duty, as beings with a conscience and compassion.
Judith Collins cites dollars to justify her lack of human regard cost. Some of us, ngā tāngata Aotearoa, also pressure for what is not needed, increasing the chance to fatally infect our innocent.
Use common sense, do what is required to save others and let us show our strength and unity. Another accolade awaits, it is up to us.
Richard Ghent, Freeman's Bay.

Rejoin the world
The percentage of people over 16 in the UK who have been vaccinated is now in the high 80s, and everyone is learning to live with the Covid virus. Self-tests are freely available at no cost, and individuals and families are responsible for monitoring their own Covid health.
The pandemic could go on for several years. Our borders cannot remain closed indefinitely. We should be following the UK, and getting ourselves organised for joining the world again.
Pamela Russell, Ōrākei.

Age range
Teuila Fuatai appears to have missed some statistics (NZ Herald, August 25).
Yes, the overall percentage of Māori who are vaccinated is lower than for Pākeha. However, if numbers are analysed on the basis of those age groups which have (until recently) been offered the jab, then Māori rates are around the same as for the wider population. With a youth-dominated population this statistic makes perfect sense.
For now, isn't it wonderful how the extraordinary efforts of the health workforce have enabled the delivery of so many vaccinations and amazing numbers of swab tests?
Judy Lawry, Golflands.

Prebble's advice
I hope the Government does not take health advice from Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, August 25) too seriously.
God help us all if we had to rely on the honesty of people taking a DIY Covid test to report a positive result. Just because his nephew in London tested himself and self-isolated until recovered doesn't begin to equal the importance of public notification of positive cases and subsequent contact tracing in New Zealand.
Not sure about Prebble's advice that using different vaccines for each jab gives better protection either. And putting Steven Joyce in charge to "fix" what is a bit slow in testing and vaccine rollout when it ain't broke yet, is just sniping for the sake of it.
Coralie van Camp, Remuera.

Self-testing
Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, August 25) implies that the Government is incompetent because it is not making use of the Rapid Covid Test to deal with our present outbreak.
To quote the Harvard Medical School: it can take as long as three weeks for the blood antibody test to turn positive. That's why it is not useful as a diagnostic test for someone with new symptoms. Having infected cases spending up to three weeks in our community before being detected is clearly not a preferred option to our present contact tracing and PCR testing system.
Prebble should not assume that he knows more about medical testing for Covid than the experts who are advising the Department of Health and the Government.
Dr Tony Barker, Glenfield.

Niagara fall
Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, August 25) scores an own-goal when praising Massey for not closing Parliament.
The reason the Niagara, carrying Prime Minister Massey and Ward, was allowed to berth in New Zealand without quarantine was to allow the Prime Minister to fulfil his duties.
So making one rule for politicians and another for the rest of us probably led to the epidemic in 1918.
It is just as well we have moved on from that state of affairs.
Mark Hangartner, Mt Roskill.

Skip the queue
I emailed my GP practice at 8.30am for advice – should I get a swab done? Ten minutes later, a phone call to invite me over at 11.15am. Done and dusted in minutes.
Many medical centres are offering this service and, if people are enrolled with a practice, this should be their first point of inquiry.
You are likely to avoid hours of queuing in a car.
Ian Dally, Royal Oak.

Costly holidays
In support of our Government's response now getting worldwide condemnation, weren't we having to maintain Covid support for our Pacific neighbours as well as ourselvelves?
Mainly that's because their health facilities would have been easily overwhelmed. This cannot have been an easy situation, as can be seen with the situation in Fiji, where people would not isolate and follow the rules.
It's all very well to be able to holiday but it could be a different story to come back with a disease and die or cause someone else to die as the Australian Prime Minister and other leaders seems to suggest is the way to go. Just call it collateral damage.
Sue Gallahar, Māngere East.

Excluding unjabbed
James Archibald (NZ Herald, August 24) suggests that anyone not vaccinated for Covid should be denied health care should they contract the virus.
Perhaps we should then also deny access to those who overwhelm the "scarce health resources" with injury and harm created by alcohol and illegal drug abuse? After all that is all self-inflicted, and it causes a huge strain on our health services and health budget, plus medical staff are often physically and verbally abused when trying to help people.
My point is, we are all entitled to health care no matter the circumstances in this country. To do otherwise is dangerous and divisive. Be kind.
Carol Johnson, Ōrewa.

A perfect world
Concerned about compliance costs, correspondent Delwyn Dingle (NZ Herald, August 25) writes, "I know it would be a perfect world if we all had reserves of capital put aside..." Is it not expressing a basic truth that deserves to be taken seriously enough to investigate ways and means to achieve this "perfection"?
Even if it is not immediately achievable by all of us, the universal effort involved would be a process of steadily widening and increasing wealth ownership creation.
The resultant widening prosperity would also make needed welfare services more affordable.
Jens Meder, Pt Chevalier.

Hurtful facts
Dr Tim Hazledine of Auckland University wrote a letter (NZ Herald, August 25) pointing out someone's error in confusing percentages with percentage points, when considering the increase in sales of new utes from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. Not a 10 per cent increase, but a 50 per cent increase.
This caused considerable hurt and dismay to those of us who have made this mistake in the past. I hope the vice-chancellor, Dawn Freshwater, will intervene to shut down misguided academics from pointing out our error. The overriding concern of a modern university must be to avoid hurt.
John Reardon, Ōrewa.

Climate coverage
May I congratulate the NZ Herald on its high standard of reporting man-made climate change.
A recently published Institute of Physics analysis of nearly 5000 articles in NZ, USA, UK, Australian and Canadian newspapers has found your accuracy of 88 per cent to be at the same high standard as The Guardian, Melbourne Age and Washington Post.
John Archer, Ōhakune.

Short & sweet

On protection
It surely is a no-brainer that all health workers should be vaccinated, all church services be online-only, and the whole of New Zealand be vaccinated without delay. John Cooper, Devonport.

Why is it that I see people driving in their cars, alone, wearing masks? Can the virus fly through glass and steel or are these people just being paranoid? Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.

On MIQ
Maybe the Herald can reprint the piece by Adam Pearce from June 4 regarding concerns of MIQ facilities that border public spaces at the Crowne Plaza hotel and the aerosol transmissions in the Grand Mercure and Millennium. Claudia Barthlen, Kerikeri.

On Prebble
Prebble's comment (NZ Herald, August 25) on the Government's handling of the crisis is bang on target and should be compulsory reading for every New Zealander. Lloyd McIntosh, West Harbour.

On briefings
Considering the volume of complaints in Herald letters and opinion pieces, it is little wonder that the PM goes to great lengths to explain our Covid measures and the reasons for the decisions made. Phil Barker, Whakatane.

The Premium Debate

Barton Littlejohn

God bless your soul my friend, awesome human being and wonderful host. RIP. Jonathan S.

So sad, I had my wedding reception at Sails and Bart and his whole team made it superb with the food and wonderful setting really coming to the fore, was always a go-to for special family occasions. Tim G.

I agree so sad. I too had my wedding reception at Sails. I used to hear him on the radio; he will be sadly missed. Love and prayers to his family. Andrew M.

So sad. Bart was such a wonderful host and restauranteur. I have enjoyed many a fine, long lunch under his expert stewardship. RIP. Oscar R.

So sad to lose a great man too soon. Many hours spent at Sails when I used to live in Auckland, enjoying Bart's company and his expertise. RIP. Bruce Y.

A true character of the hospitality industry. Really enjoyed his banter. Great loss. Geoff H.

That is very sad. He really was an exceptional restauranteur and over a sustained period of time. RIP. Connel M.