Auckland has been paying the price for NZ's Covid policies for weeks. If everyone pulled their weight and got vaccinated we wouldn't need a border.
- Sandra T
The whole country is paying a mental, physical and financial cost for being locked down. We're being held to ransom by the minority who refuse to get vaccinated. We're also being held to ransom by a government that refuses to give us a reopening date, thereby giving desperate business owners a chance to make definitive plans instead of worrying how much longer they can stay afloat or who they may have to lay off. By giving a date they will most likely give the vaccine-hesitant a sense of urgency.
- Steven W
We're flogging a dead horse. Delta rips through borders no matter how secure we think they are. We're only delaying the inevitable - for recent evidence look at NSW and Victoria. NSW tried the regional approach, Victoria tried the initial total lockdown, both failed. Even Singapore is up to 3000 cases per day. All of these places are actively reopening because they have plans to manage and mitigate. The billions we are spending would be better invested in our health services, recruiting more staff with financial incentives, upgrading capacity, equipment, facilities. Scrap MIQ.
- Walter H
What's putting the country at risk is slow vaccinations, commerce-killing lockdowns and borrowing to provide a feeling that everything is fine.
- Alex G
Tough borders don't work, gangs and others have proved that. The other problem is scanning - yesterday while I was shopping 90 per cent didn't scan in. So many don't give a damn or take it seriously. I commented to the teller about most people not scanning, she replied yes it's bad and reckoned Covid will be in our town within a week. I know others from other towns that have had symptoms and refused to be tested still going out. Shocking. What will it take for these people and anti-vaxxers to take it seriously?
- Andrew G
I think the entire North Island should be put into a level 3 lockdown - it's the only way to get the politicians and wonks in Wellington to take this seriously. Aucklanders are sick of shouldering this on their own. I think we'd all be surprised to see how quickly things get done then.
- Jacqueline M
The more borders and false sense of security will only cause increased procrastination in the undecided and indecisive about getting the jab. If this government would just put a date on the country opening back in full level 1 it would drive the right behaviour.
- Jason G
It would be very easy to establish a border just north of Wellington to isolate that city and the South Island, except for supplies and essential workers. But that would mean the Government being proactive rather than reactive, so it is unlikely to happen until Covid spreads.
- Patrick F
I noticed that the BOP had one of the poorest vaccination rates on the map. Well, maybe this will scare them into doing the right thing. If not, too bad. I won't shed any tears for anyone who is not vaccinated.
- Glenn P
When is the Government going to admit that they moved Auckland to level 3 too quickly. A five-year-old can look at the case numbers graph and tell where things took a turn for the worse.
- Emma B
Encircling Auckland with an iron curtain is probably the correct action to take. However, Auckland has long paid the price of having MIQ facilities at its centre. It is past time that these facilities were transferred to more remote centres that, thanks to sacrifices made by Aucklanders, have remained free of lockdowns. The first place that comes to mind would be Dunedin. Auckland's iron curtain could then be employed to keep it virus-free.
- Neal M
- Republished comments may be edited at the editor's discretion.
