Labour has quietly shifted the goalposts on its first campaign promise of the 2020 campaign, a policy that would make it more difficult to plant swathes of prime food-producing land in trees to harvest carbon credits. Last July,…
Tag Archives: oceania
Vessel with Covid-19 infected mariners offered quarantine anchorage in Auckland
The Ports of Auckland has agreed to allow the vessel with two positive Covid-19 mariners onboard access to its quarantine anchorage. The company said it would not be taking the Spanish flagged fishing vessel Viking Bay “in-port”…
Waikato student knocked unconscious during school fight
A Waikato teenager was rushed to hospital in a serious condition after a school fight that appears to have been triggered by bullying earlier in the day.The Herald understands the boy spent several nights in hospital after being…
Health authorities slow with RSV advice during outbreak, childcare centres say
Wellington childcare centres are concerned they’ve only just received official information about the highly contagious winter virus RSV, when children have been off sick for weeks. The recent respiratory syncytial virus outbreak…
Fullers ferry smashes into Hobsonville Wharf, Auckland
[UPDATE: The broken-down ferry that smashed into Hobsonville Point wharf was removed in time for Friday morning’s first sailing at 6.20am.]A Fullers ferry has smashed into Hobsonville Point wharf. A witness says the crash sent bins…
Chief Coroner Judge Deborah Marshall steps down after 7 years
The woman in charge of investigating many of New Zealand’s high-profile coronial deaths – including victims of Whakaari/White Island and the Christchurch terror attacks – has stepped down. Judge Deborah Marshall has announced she…
Council celebrates Matariki by cooking traditional hangi – in the ground
As the country starts to embrace Matariki, the Māori New Year, Auckland Council has volunteered to get among the process of traditional hangi – cooking it in the ground. Led by Mātua Rihari (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi,…
National gives Labour MP Louisa Wall speaking slot after denied call in debate over suicide report
Labour MP Louisa Wall has been gifted a speaking slot in a debate on suicide by National – after her own party denied her one. National’s mental health spokesman Matt Doocey said Wall was “blocked” from speaking, which he said was…
Covid 19 coronavirus: Scientists pour cold water on lab leak theory
Top international scientists have again poured cold water on widespread claims the Covid-19 pandemic began in a Chinese laboratory. At first dismissed, the “lab leak theory” has been given more credence after intense media coverage…
'No alternative' to NSW eliminating Delta, says top medical body
New South Wales must "continue lockdowns until the virus is eliminated", the president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has said.
Dr Omar Khorshid issued a strong warning to NSW, urging leaders to "stick to their guns" or risk "disaster".
"There's no alternative to elimination," he said, given "nowhere in the world has any community been able to live with Delta without very significant levels of vaccination".
LIVE UPDATES: Global COVID-19 deaths hit four million
"We would be talking about long-term significant restrictions on people's movements from going in and out of lockdown, hospitals filling up with extremely sick people, and a devastating economic impact, not just on NSW but the rest of the country," he said.
"We would see permanently closed borders between most other states and NSW which would have devastating impact on many families and businesses."
The AMA today released a statement in support of the extended NSW lockdown after the state recorded its highest daily rise in case numbers in over a year with 38 new infections since yesterday.
READ MORE: NSW records highest number of daily COVID-19 cases in over a year
"Now is the time to redouble our efforts and our resolve as a community, to beat the current outbreak in NSW," the statement said.
"We do not have high levels of the population vaccinated yet. We are nowhere close to 'herd' immunity.
"If the outbreak in NSW is not dealt with, then we will see borders around Australia closed."
READ MORE: Hunt for Sydney man who spat on Bunnings customer in mask dispute
Dr Khorshid said harsher restrictions may be needed to bring the outbreak under control.
"I think it would be acknowledged that there have been more cases in the community than they were expecting at this stage, almost two weeks into the lockdown, and there may need to be tighter restrictions on community," the AMA president said.
The AMA would support tighter restrictions, he said, if it meant limiting the duration of the lockdown.
"We can't live with this virus," he said.
"New South Wales certainly can't live in lockdown until we're fully vaccinated so if that means turning up the restrictions that's exactly what they should do.
"If Australia tries to open up and live with Delta, it faces a reality like that in India or Indonesia, not the UK or US which have significant numbers of the population vaccinated."