Today Cabinet will consider whether to relax the conditions of Level 2 lockdown – of particular interest will be how much they relax the restrictions on group gatherings, especially for churches which are currently limited to 10. The pressure seems to have gone off the funeral limits which were upped to 50 after a public uproar.
It’s possible a decision will be made to lower to level 1 but that seems unlikely at this stage. A few days prior to lowering from both Level 4 and Level 3 the Government released amended conditions for the level we were moving to.
So perhaps at best today we may get an easing of level 2 conditions and a signal that level 1 may be considered in two weeks time.
There has been little change to the Covid numbers over the last week, with just one new case and a gradual reduction in actove cases. The totals as at yesterday:
| Total | Change in last 24 hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of confirmed cases in New Zealand | 1,154 | 0 |
| Number of probable cases | 350 | 0 |
| Number of confirmed and probable cases | 1,504 | 0 |
| Number of recovered cases | 1,456 | 1 |
| Number of deaths | 21 | 0 |
| Number of active cases | 27 | -1 |
| Number of cases currently in hospital | 1 | 0 |
– https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/new-zealand/
Your NZ 
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Since the testing numbers are still consistent , and not many are showing symptons to be eligible its clearly looking for the asymptomatic.
There is probably a statistical number of random tests to give the high confidence the virus only in existing known clusters. After all relaxing restrictions AND later re imposing restrictions like countries and a second wave comes is the worst outcome.
We are certainly well ahead of some Australian states in the lower level of our restrictions.
The aim here is to go to lower levels that are sustainable , especially as we go into winter when infectious diseases rise.
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020A disease that no one has isn’t infectious and can’t rise.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020No symptoms….don’t know they have it and are spreading to others as well has a long incubation period usually 5 days could be 14.
Effectively 100% of infected people won’t know for first 5 days …. And then another 40% never know.
Testing people with symptoms tells you nothing about these peoeple at all
David
/ 25th May 2020I am in the gym and there could be 99 other people here but religious gatherings are still restricted. Seems inconsistent.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Its because churches have been origins of super clusters and worship is a communal experience ( for most) while gyms havent…however the group gym classes are restricted to 10 ?
Its based on evidence/experience…have you heard of that ?
David
/ 25th May 2020Have you heard about taking appropriate precautions, gyms have and churches could too quite easily. Bit of distance, flag communion and none of the singing.
Can you not understand that or do you just have to be f…ing offensive all the time over the most benign comments.
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020Gyms are communal to some extent, surely; they must be,
To stop OUR churches because some elsewhere have been origins of clusters is insane. 21 active cases is hardly an epidemic. 1 in 250,000 ?
I wonder if it’s plain anti-clericalism as practiced by extreme lefties.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020The communal parts (group classes)are restricted to smaller numbers , the rest are like a shop with adequate distancing which is ‘regulated’
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020This isn’t happening; it isn’t possible, If two people are on opposite sides of the aisle, and someone else comes down the middle…
They want us to take 30 minutes, which I usually do anyway, but if we all had to be 2m apart at all times, this wouldn’t be possible, either.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020If I cant move further away I stick my arm straight out to ‘give a message’, you can use a brolly.
We arent London with hundreds still dying each day and we are on cusp of Lvl 1 which probably wont be any distancing required.
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020I don’t, and I won’t stick an umbrella out and look like an absolute fool, which would be the only message I’d be giving.
L1 has been put off again and if the PM has her way won’t happen at all.
8th or 22nd of June; yeah, right.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 25th May 2020Basically the lockdowns are just quarantine of international arrivals plus social distancing with added b.s.
We could always do without the added b.s.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 25th May 2020The cost of the b.s. keeps rising:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12334479
As I said, Labour will keep throwing money at the problem they created until the September election.
Gezza
/ 25th May 2020Sure, they will. It’s tradition anyway in an election year. What’ll be interesting now will be to hear what a National government will do with what’s left.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 25th May 2020The blind enthusiasm and passion most of the population had for lockdown reminded me horribly of the human weaknesses that cause and support most wars and atrocities.
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020I have noticed on another site that the people who were in favour and fawned on the PM (and in one cases bellyached about apparent breaches and boasted of dobbing people in) are now the most vocal in opposition to wage cuts of 20% which are essential to keep businesses running after the lockdown did its work.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Wage cuts are what made the great depression worse…. we shouldnt repeat that mistake. Some have cut large executive pay packets …well they are well paid for the good times, but not the workers.
If necessary a 4 day week to keep staff employed on lower production or sales and 1 ‘ leave day’ paid for by government like in Germany.
Its economic lunacy to have wage cuts for those employees still working
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020The government’s money is the taxpayer’s money. Paying people for a day’s work sounds all right, but it would make the debt even more crippling, and these people would be paying themselves, in effect.
Lower production would only make the recovery take longer, if it ever does happen. The PM’s reliance on instinct rather than science and evidence has a lot to answer for.
Perhaps the Dear Leader would like to solve this problem; she created it.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020No , they would be paid NOT to work for one day . Its to keep more people working rather than cutting staff by 20%
Not every place obviously as some arent suitable
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020I meant paying people the equivalent, hence the reference to lower production etc.
But if they are paid for not working, why not pay them TO work ?
Pink David
/ 25th May 2020“No , they would be paid NOT to work for one day”
By who?
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020The taxpayer, i.e. themselves ! Robbing Peter to pay…Peter.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Well obviously if orders are down less staff needed…..it doesn’t make sense to continue working 5 days a week if only 80% is sold
Pink David
/ 25th May 2020“The taxpayer, i.e. themselves ! Robbing Peter to pay…Peter.”
Yeah, that’s the flaw. The Government as a loan shark. Here…have this money we will take of your children.
A real time test of MMT.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Fell into that trap didn’t you
Was one of Keys proposals back in 2009 ..short week subsidy…many other ‘wage Subsidies’ that year as well, including full subsidy ie government paying.
So Todd will oppose it all for the sake of opposition…..I can guarantee there will zero bi partisan ship from him.
Labour is cleverly going to deny him oxygen over the next months , so that public will still be saying Todd who?……how sad the changeover will be all for nothing …a Shearer without facing the armed militias
Pink David
/ 25th May 2020Duker, you really have some imagination. Why would I care if it was a Key proposal? It’s exactly as I have said, taking money from the future to subsidies today. It just obscures who will end up paying.
duperez
/ 25th May 2020It’s a real bugger when everyone gets on the same page with blind enthusiasm and passion.
Hopefully Muller doesn’t try to rouse those and harness them.
Or any companies and sports teams for the fight back.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 25th May 2020Yes, when everyone is blind and passionate it is time to get out fast because there is a catastrophe imminent.
duperez
/ 25th May 2020Just before 3.00 the Herald had Jackie ‘Dead’ on the list.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Dr Jiang has been abducted by aliens
Gezza
/ 25th May 2020Wot?
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Was this a clever idea by a german cafe ?…nah a stunt dreamed up the local TV station
David
/ 25th May 20204 more weeks of level 2 stupidness and we have had 1 case in the last week.
Kitty Catkin
/ 25th May 2020I suppose that we shouldn’t have been idiotic enough to think it would happen today. After a lot of waffle the PM finally got to the point, such as it was.
The hospitality industry is unimpressed and I don’t blame them.
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Hospitality is the place where super spreaders are most successful
1bar 45 cases
1 wedding venue 90 cases
Second wave risk is too high, that’s why we are upping the social gathering numbers first before going to unlimited in level 1
Alan Wilkinson
/ 25th May 2020If the risk is too high, what is it exactly and how is it calculated?
Duker
/ 25th May 2020Iron law of experience…used in medicine all the time
Alan Wilkinson
/ 25th May 2020So b.s. then.