Covid-19 response: PM Jacinda Ardern outlines what's next
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving a speech on the next steps in New Zealand's Covid-19 response.
On a Facebook livestream, Ardern has outlined scenarios where the country will need to go into different levels of lockdown in different regions if Covid-19 was to spread into the community.
"We will be guided by science and what we know works."
She says the government learnt a lot from the first wave of Covid-19.
"No one wants to go backwards but the reality is... it is not over."
"We will move at a local or regional level ... before we would move to national."
This is about preparedness, she said, and important to also give businesses some assurances.
The alert level framework can be used locally, nationally or regionally if need be, she said.
But, the first use will be local, she said.
Borders would need to be established to contain locally or regionally, and would be supported by agencies, she said.
She said a regional level 4 would be to contain an outbreak.
"We would maintain a certain level of flexibility depending on what sort of outbreak we have."
She noted that in other countries, apartment blocks, workplaces and suburbs have all been locked down.
"The message here is in that eventuality, we wouldn't necessarily be moving all of New Zealand at once..."
New Zealand has learned that things move quickly and giving more than 24-48 hour frameworks would lose effectiveness, she said.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins said rapid contract tracing is vitally important.
"The more accurate that is early on, the more targeted we can be in our approach."
Ardern said she doesn't put a timeline on how long New Zealand's borders will be closed, "but it continues to be an area of risk that needs to be managed."
She said the news of Judith Collins becoming the new opposition leader is taking a "bare minimum of her thinking".
"I think right now, politicking doesn't matter much to them (the public)."
Hipkins said the contact tracing system will be at a gold standard when every New Zealander is keeping a good record of where they have been and every business has QR codes.
"It's reliant on all of us," he said.
He said over recent weeks he hasn't been as diligent as he should have been but he's stepped up his game.
"What if tomorrow there is notice of a case and we need to notify anyone who came in contact in or near that place," Ardern said.
She said people who test positive for Covid-19 may be removed from the community, and their homes, and put into a facility.
Hipkins said they are looking at different options for further contract tracing.
Ardern said there is an element of personal responsibility in all of this.
But the NZ Covid Tracer app is not a complete solution, she said.
"The Covid tracing app is all about people controlling their own data," Hipkins said.
In regards to a bubble with Rarotonga, Ardern said she's continuing her discussion with the Cook Island's prime minister.
Very strong physical barriers would be needed at airports for this to happen because there is currently no way to separate someone who is positive from someone who has come from a place with no cases, Ardern said.
She said any trans-Tasman bubble would be restricted to what is happening in each country.
"Obviously, now is not the time."
Via rnz.co.nz
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/421237/covid-19-response-pm-jacinda-ardern-outlines-what-s-next
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving a speech on the next steps in New Zealand's Covid-19 response.
On a Facebook livestream, Ardern has outlined scenarios where the country will need to go into different levels of lockdown in different regions if Covid-19 was to spread into the community.
"We...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving a speech on the next steps in New Zealand's Covid-19 response.
On a Facebook livestream, Ardern has outlined scenarios where the country will need to go into different levels of lockdown in different regions if Covid-19 was to spread into the community.
"We will be guided by science and what we know works."
She says the government learnt a lot from the first wave of Covid-19.
"No one wants to go backwards but the reality is... it is not over."
"We will move at a local or regional level ... before we would move to national."
This is about preparedness, she said, and important to also give businesses some assurances.
The alert level framework can be used locally, nationally or regionally if need be, she said.
But, the first use will be local, she said.
Borders would need to be established to contain locally or regionally, and would be supported by agencies, she said.
She said a regional level 4 would be to contain an outbreak.
"We would maintain a certain level of flexibility depending on what sort of outbreak we have."
She noted that in other countries, apartment blocks, workplaces and suburbs have all been locked down.
"The message here is in that eventuality, we wouldn't necessarily be moving all of New Zealand at once..."
New Zealand has learned that things move quickly and giving more than 24-48 hour frameworks would lose effectiveness, she said.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins said rapid contract tracing is vitally important.
"The more accurate that is early on, the more targeted we can be in our approach."
Ardern said she doesn't put a timeline on how long New Zealand's borders will be closed, "but it continues to be an area of risk that needs to be managed."
She said the news of Judith Collins becoming the new opposition leader is taking a "bare minimum of her thinking".
"I think right now, politicking doesn't matter much to them (the public)."
Hipkins said the contact tracing system will be at a gold standard when every New Zealander is keeping a good record of where they have been and every business has QR codes.
"It's reliant on all of us," he said.
He said over recent weeks he hasn't been as diligent as he should have been but he's stepped up his game.
"What if tomorrow there is notice of a case and we need to notify anyone who came in contact in or near that place," Ardern said.
She said people who test positive for Covid-19 may be removed from the community, and their homes, and put into a facility.
Hipkins said they are looking at different options for further contract tracing.
Ardern said there is an element of personal responsibility in all of this.
But the NZ Covid Tracer app is not a complete solution, she said.
"The Covid tracing app is all about people controlling their own data," Hipkins said.
In regards to a bubble with Rarotonga, Ardern said she's continuing her discussion with the Cook Island's prime minister.
Very strong physical barriers would be needed at airports for this to happen because there is currently no way to separate someone who is positive from someone who has come from a place with no cases, Ardern said.
She said any trans-Tasman bubble would be restricted to what is happening in each country.
"Obviously, now is not the time."
Via rnz.co.nz
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/421237/covid-19-response-pm-jacinda-ardern-outlines-what-s-next
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