A daily wrap of all the main developments in the Covid-19 Delta outbreak as New Zealand is plunged into lockdown for the fifth time. Video / NZ Herald
OPINION
I'm sure I'm not the only person who felt a sense of dread on Tuesday afternoon as New Zealand was plunged back into lockdown due to the latest outbreak of Covid-19.
Having just spent a week on holiday in Central Otago, I arrived at Rotorua Airport to a dozenNZ Herald notifications about a new Covid case and impending lockdown.
However now, having had a day or so to process it at all, I think it's obvious things could be a lot worse.
We've seen in Sydney how devastating the Delta variant can be if not dealt with early.
For that reason, I'm pleased our Government acted so quickly. STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG
STORY CONTINUES I wish I could say I was more surprised to see Act leader David Seymour condemning the lockdown, saying it shows the Government only has "one tool in its toolbox".
Lockdown is not the only tool but it's a valuable one - we know it works. Part of the reason we are one of the last countries on the planet to have this variant of Covid-19 in the community is that we acted so quickly at the very beginning of the pandemic.
I can be pessimistic at times and it's easy to feel sorry for ourselves in this situation. Covid-19 creates so much uncertainty, it is an unrelenting beast and at times it feels as though it is never going to end.
But I find it a lot easier to take when I think of us all as a team, fighting this virus together.
Take our newsroom for example. We're all working from home but more of a team than ever. We know how crucial information is to our readers and we do whatever we need to get it to them.
All over New Zealand there are workmates, family, friends and flatmates all pulling together as smaller cogs of a greater machine.
We're united in a fight against Covid-19. We're not alone and I'm confident we'll get the job done.
