Northlanders are largely pleased that the remaining Covid protections have been put aside. Photo / Tania Whyte
Northlanders are largely pleased that the remaining Covid protections have been put aside. Photo / Tania Whyte
Northlanders are generally happy the remaining Covid public health requirements have been lifted but caution people should still adopt a commonsense approach, especially when they are sick and while out in public.
Their reaction follows the Government’s decision to remove the remaining Covid-19 public health requirements from yesterday, including theremoval of the seven-day mandatory isolation and wearing of face masks for visitors to healthcare facilities.
Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said while fluctuations from week to week were expected, overall Covid case rates, wastewater levels and hospitalisations have been trending downwards since the beginning of June.
Over the past month, she said reported Covid cases have hit their lowest levels since February 2022.
“Public health officials have advised risk from Covid-19 is now considered low compared to other stages of the pandemic and it’s safe to remove the final requirements.”
Dr Verrall said Covid accounted for 2.2 per cent of hospital admissions throughout New Zealand on Monday morning and the country has now likely passed the winter influenza peak.
Focus Paihia founder and Salt Air chief executive Grant Harnish said it was “about bloody time” Covid restrictions were gone.
“The whole thing has been a disaster and from a tourism perspective, it was so mismanaged it wasn’t funny. Lifting the restrictions is only going to make things better.”
Harnish said prior to the Government’s latest announcement, Kiwi visitors didn’t know any Covid restrictions even existed while hopefully, overseas tourists would be keen to come to Northland post-winter.
Northland branch of Hospitality NZ chairman and Kaikohe’s Bank Bar owner John Maurice reckons the government announcement was merely a formality.
“The only restriction is the seven-day stand-down period if someone has Covid so the removal of further restrictions will have no effect in terms of people’s day-to-day business. Everyone has virtually gotten over Covid.
“People and businesses are starting to get back to normality in every regard and now cruise ships are going to be back, we’re looking forward to welcoming back overseas visitors.”
Tim Robinson says businesses needed the certainty of a return to normality with the lifting of the remaining Covid restrictions. Photo / Michael Cunningham
NorthChamber president Tim Robinson the biggest desire from the business community was to ensure that all the learnings from the pandemic were captured and led to better management of future events of a similar nature.
“Whilst acknowledging that the framework was critical and appropriate to managing the pandemic, with Covid now controlled and waning, businesses needed the certainty of a return to normality. Business owners are confident that they can manage their individual staff needs as they occur.
“In particular, the removal of the stand-down period is most welcomed by the business community, as this was placing significant constraints on the management of staff schedules and their availability, and consequently was impacting on business productivity,” he said.
But emergency medicine specialist at Whangārei Hospital Dr Gary Payinda said the Government was pretending Covid cases were over when the reality was people were still dying from it.
“Two per cent of all hospital in-patient beds are occupied by Covid patients, 5000 cases are reported a week, and something like 20 deaths every week. Covid and other respiratory illnesses are taking a horrible toll at workplaces, rest homes and others.”
He is advocating the use of carbon dioxide monitors at workplaces and in public as a better way to help minimise Covid and other respiratory illnesses than just wearing masks and practising good hygiene.
Ngāti Hine Health Trust CEO Geoff Milner said the Government’s decision was “good” for the community because people were learning to live with Covid, just as they were learning to live with influenza.
Covid vaccination remained available and people should use common sense despite the lifting of restrictions, he said.
