Rob Rattenbury: Vaccinated and unvaccinated - we all need to take a breath

The new normal includes masks, vaccination passes, Covid tracer apps, carrying identification such as driver's licences or passports. Photo / NZME

COMMENT:

Christmas is coming and, after 21 months we seem to be seeing some form of normal return to our lives. Not the old normal but a normal that includes masks, vaccination passes, Covid tracer apps and carrying identification such as driver's licences or passports. The normal that most New Zealanders are slowly coming to grips with.

Popping down to the shop has now turned into a minor logistical episode. This is all depending on whether the necessary pass for a vaccinated person can actually be obtained from the Ministry of Health website and installed on a phone or printed off. These are, of course, minor teething problems that will in due course be resolved. Like many issues the country has faced in recent times dealing with Covid.

With the new traffic light system starting, it feels like we may have turned a corner away from lockdowns towards learning to live with this bug. Vaccination rates are reaching 90 per cent or not far off in most parts of the country. Booster shots are now being delivered, and in the very near future our five- to 11-year-olds will have a vaccine suitable for them.

The Government has come under scrutiny and criticism, as is expected in an open democracy. The Government must be questioned and held to account, no matter the politics involved. Listening to or reading some commentators, it is clear that the criticisms are made with the benefit of hindsight.

It is easy to pull policies and decisions to bits when we look back at how some issues played out and some did not. Trying to score these easy points makes the questioners' cases very suspect. The points are being sought just for political gain and for the sake of criticising this government.

The questions have to be asked: What if Labour had not been in power just prior to March 2020? What shape would our country be in today?

New Zealand has the lowest Covid death rate in the OECD, the lowest use of ICU beds, the shortest hospital admission times. The economy did not tank as predicted - in fact, it seems to be fine overall. Billions have been spent on subsidies to help employers get through lockdowns and keep employees.

Sadly, lives have been changed by the pandemic. Careers and jobs have been lost, especially among the lower-paid workers and women. People nearing the end of their working lives have been let go, seeking help from MSD for the first time in their lives or having to use hard-earned savings until they either get another job or reach 65.

Being older is not an attractive option in the labour market. Many New Zealanders have actually entered retirement years before they had personally and financially planned to. Overseas trips of a lifetime and other dreams may now not be a reality for many active, healthy older folk.

The country has been through the wringer in the last 21 months, with perhaps more to come. It has been so hard for many; employers, small business owners, the lower-paid and the older workforce.

We need to recognise the wonderful people who have actually kept our community going, the lower-paid usually. The truck drivers, supermarket staff, courier drivers, the farming community, the workers at the MIQ centres, the tracers and the vaccinators are but a few who we all owe a debt of gratitude to. Many have put up with stressed and badly behaved people way above what is expected for people in their job roles while trying to help us. This is now continuing, of course, with the introduction of mandates. Hospitality, reception and shop staff should not be expected to face the wrath of those who will not or cannot be vaccinated.

If, for any reason, you choose not to be vaccinated, as is your right, I am sure you will not make issues with these people. They are just people trying to make a living for themselves or their families.

We all need to take that deep breath, both the vaccinated and unvaccinated. This time will pass and we must remember that we all have freedom of choice, a dearly-fought for freedom. We will still need to continue to live with each other down the track. We are not each other's enemies, just fellow Kiwis with different points of view.

As time goes by, vaccines and medications will improve. Some of the concerns people have now may be allayed. This brilliant scientific work will possibly open up further treatment options for other diseases we struggle with nowadays. Remember that the universal use of penicillin followed World War Two, about the only good thing to come out of that war.

So take a deep breath, folks, and try to just keep smiling.