Director of Public Health, Dr Caroline McElnay (she usually does Fridays):
2 new confirmed cases, one linked to the St Margaret’s Rest Home in Auckland (a nurse), and the other upgraded from probable. So just one more added to the combined total of 1,490
90% of all probably and confirmed cases have recovered.
3 people in hospital (up 1 in yesterday).
No more deaths.
A new record 7,812 tests yesterday bringing the total to 175,835 (3.5% of the population).
A reminder that we are still in level 3 lockdown but should be preparing for whenever we change down to level 2.
Urged to play it safe.
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson
When we change to level 2 the aim is to get business working again as much as possible, but safely.
Refers to: Govt books reflect swift action to protect New Zealanders from COVID-19 impact
The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the nine months to the end of March. Net Core Crown Debt was 21.3% of GDP with an OBEGAL deficit of $2.7 billion.
Core Crown tax revenue was $0.4 billion above December forecasts, due to higher-than-forecast PAYE, GST and customs and excise duties reflecting the growing economy before COVID-19. Core Crown expenses were $4.4 billion above forecast, reflecting the financial support for businesses and the health system as we went hard and early in our response.
“As of yesterday the wage subsidy scheme has paid out more than $10.6 billion dollars to more than 1.7 million workers. The scheme was in place from March 17, more than a week before the country went into Alert Level 4.”
MSD figures show jobseeker figures are up around 40,000.
There has been a tenfold increase of people coming back from overseas and onto the jobseeker benefit.
There has been an increase of 30 percent of vehicle traffic since moving to level 3.
Treasury says business activity would be back to 75% of prior levels under level 3 and 85% when we drop to level 2, but level 3 has actually been 80%.
The budget will be delivered next week. It is likely to be quite different to past budgets.+
Some signs of improvement globally:
Your NZ 
David
/ 8th May 2020Been listening to the wireless while painting and the talk of the quite absurd hospo rules where you can have a wedding or funeral with 50 people all milling around as long as you have a register but if you stop at a bar you have to be 2m away and be seated etc.
A bar owner was saying he is allowed 70 people in but under the rules he can only fit in 28 but will probably have a higher overhead so may not open. But you can drop in after a game of rugby or have a house party of a 100 people if the bar is full.
Apparently the WHO only require a 1m distance so clearly this is little Miss Perfect and a committee decision.
Kitty Catkin
/ 8th May 2020She may hope that people will ignore it and give her the perfect excuse to lock us all in again.
Gezza
/ 8th May 2020Don’t be silly, Kitty. By now I imagine alarm bells are ringing that the economy won’t stand repeated lockdowns & that the plebs are getting restless. I can’t see Jacinda & co wanting to go level 4 again.
Duker
/ 8th May 2020Whats all this grief over cafes having seated customers and table service.
When I occasionally go to a cafe thats how its ALWAYS worked , give the order and sit down and wait for coffee and snack to be delivered to table.
Whats wrong with these people. isnt this what staff are there for?
Pete George
/ 8th May 2020Most cafes get you to order and pay at the counter and take what you can with you to your table, they will bring things that need pereparation (like coffee or something that needs heating or cooking).
From what I can make of the changes they want customers to go in and sit, and for someone to take their orders at their table.
And then depending on interpretations I have seen, one person only to serve each table (one to one, I think that can’t be right) or the same person has to do all table service at their allocated tables.
–
David
/ 8th May 2020Most cafes have counter food and surely its much healthier to queue at a clean counter and order your stuff then get a seat. 1m between tables is surely enough, 2m means removing seats and must get close to be uneconomic to open.
Pete George
/ 8th May 20201 m between tables isn’t much. Whatever, 2 m is what’s been stipulated, there’s no point in complaining. If you really wanted it changed try a judicial review.
Kitty Catkin
/ 8th May 2020What’s the difference ? (apart from the literal one) We’d still have to look along the counter to see what’s there.I can’t see any advantage.
Duker
/ 8th May 2020“Separated means there must be a social distance between tables (of 2m).” – NZ
WHO advice –
‘Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and others
Clearly 2m between tables gives room for people to sit at a table AND be 1m from another seated person.
[deleted as per warning that you may or may not have seen but don’t accuse and attack, making a point with information is enough]
David
/ 8th May 2020On that basis each person needs 12 sqm to have a coffee.
Duker
/ 8th May 2020” clearly this is little Miss Perfect and a committee decision.”
This was OK ? Thats clearly a complete fabrication and making false comparisons.
It wasnt just a casual error he clearly took the trouble to look up WHO advice and would have known the NZ one as well.
Theres a pattern as well in previous claims…. [don’t try that]
Pete George
/ 8th May 2020I decided to make the documents more easily accessible so put links in a post: https://yournz.org/2020/05/08/government-release-of-documents-relating-to-covid-19-decisions/
Maggy Wassilieff
/ 8th May 2020It is likely to be quite different to past budgets
Oh dear…
I was so looking forward to another wellbeing budget.
Duker
/ 8th May 2020Thats nothing , didnt you just love Bill Englishs Compassionate budget
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/274299/budget-2015-compassionate-conservatism
a)Mr English said a high percentage of mothers of three-year-olds were back in some form of work.
b)a new tax at the border
Bill was at his most compassionate since voting down in 2015 Hone Harawiras Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill
Noes 61 New Zealand National 59; ACT New Zealand 1; United Future 1.