Luke Kirkness: Complacency should be punished in a Covid-19 world

OPINION

I waited for two hours and two minutes trying to get through Auckland's Covid-19 border at Mercer on Sunday to be asked three quick questions.

Question: Where are you going?
Answer: Papamoa.
Question: Why are you going?
Answer: I have work on Monday.
Question: You know you can't come back if you leave?
Answer: Yes.

That was the extent of my grilling as I fled Auckland - the lockdown capital of New Zealand - after the Government announced the latest virus cases on Saturday.

The wait had steam coming out my ears by the time I reached the checkpoint but to be questioned for less than a minute made my blood boil.

I wasn't asked where I had been in Auckland, what I had been doing up there, whether I had any symptoms, where I lived, or even my name.

I can only put this down to too many people being too casual in New Zealand. And don't get me wrong, I love casual.

I waited for two hours and two minutes trying to get through Auckland's Covid-19 border at Mercer. Photo / Michael Craig

Casual is in our blood but when it comes to something like a deadly virus, it's not really something we should just brush off.

In 22 hours, a total of 23,000 vehicles had been through five checkpoints on Auckland's southern border since the start of the lockdown.

A mere 320 vehicles had been turned back for either not having a legitimate reason for travelling or not having the required paperwork.

I would hate to think about how many people were actually hard-pressed by police officers at the checkpoints about their reasons for travel.

I would like to give checkpoint staff the benefit of the doubt but where there is complacency there are often mistakes too.

We wouldn't even be in this situation if people followed the rules.

Saturday's virus case which triggered the move into lockdown was a 21-year-old man who went to the gym after getting a test.

His actions went beyond casual; they were, in my view, reckless. He should be punished.

We cannot afford to get complacent with the virus. Photo / Guy Body

At some point, the Government needs to take a hard line on Covid-19 rule breakers: it is costing people their incomes, lifestyles, and in some cases, their lives.

This latest example highlights the fact authorities need to whack a few people over the knuckles with a cane, figuratively. It also shows we need to seriously think about moving our managed isolation and quarantine facilities.

Our greatest Covid-19 minds, public health experts Michael Baker and Nick Wilson, have spent months shouting from the rooftop they need to move these facilities away from our major cities and set up a specialist facility at the likes of Ohakea airbase.

Such a move would hopefully better shield our economy from the actions of a reckless few and our general complacency.