New Government advice says vaccines will be key to NZ's borders opening, Gloriavale Christian School is the focus of a new police inquiry, and Tauranga port workers test negative for Covid-19.
New advice to the Government recommends a phased re-opening of New Zealand’s border from next year - and only once the Covid vaccine rollout is complete.
An advisory group led by Sir David Skegg, formed specifically to lay out the best options for reconnecting with the rest of the world, says New Zealand’s current Covid elimination strategy will still be viable even when borders reopen.
But the group warns the Delta variant means quarantine-free travel before high vaccine uptake is risky, saying New Zealand’s health system is still poorly resourced to deal with any large outbreak of Covid-19 .
The group also cautions that the pandemic is constantly evolving, so any details of a phased reopening of borders shouldn’t be decided more than six months in advance – but they say those preparations must start now.
Their recommended reopening includes slowly admitting travellers without using MIQ, but with certain requirements, including proof of vaccination, pre-departure testing and rapid testing on arrival in New Zealand.
Today’s report says having a high proportion of fully adults should mean any new clusters of Covid-19 coming from overseas could be stamped out via testing and contact tracing, although the capacity to do this must also be reviewed and strengthened.
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Port workers test negative
All 110 port workers in Tauranga who came into contact with a Covid-infected container ship have now tested negative for the virus .
It comes after the final inconclusive test result for one worker came back negative late yesterday. Some port staff will remain in isolation for 14 days.
The Rio de la Plata was due to dock in Napier next but won't be allowed to berth until all crew members test negative.
A marine pilot linked to the ship has since been connected to a taxi driver in Cairns . Australian health officials believe the taxi driver caught the virus from the pilot, even though the pilot is reportedly fully vaccinated.
1 NEWS reporter Natalia Sutherland has looked at the issue of why we’re still seeing vaccinated people contracting Covid-19 here .
Inquiry into Gloriavale school
Gloriavale Christian School is the focus of a new police inquiry into child abuse .
Police, Oranga Tamariki, and the Ministry of Education have confirmed to 1 NEWS an investigation has been launched at the West Coast school, where some staff are believed to have been stood down. More than 200 students from Year 1 to 11 attend the school, which is 60km from Greymouth.
Claims of sexual abuse against women and children at the Gloriavale commune have been under investigation by police and Oranga Tamariki since last year. Several men are now before the courts over that matter.
Finger pointing over power woes
Monday night’s power failure across parts of the North Island was the subject of hot debate for much of yesterday.
Energy Minister Megan Woods says New Zealand had enough power to handle Monday’s unprecedented demand, but commercial decisions prevented it.
However, Genesis has rejected that claim , saying it had been an operational decision, rather than a commercial decision, to have less supply. Genesis CEO Marc England told RNZ’s Checkpoint he believes the company is being scapegoated by Woods.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National’s Judith Collins also sparred over gas exploration following the power outages yesterday, while Collins called for Woods to be sacked from her energy portfolio over the incident.
Concern for Black Caps star
Former Black Caps all-rounder Chris Cairns is reportedly on life support after suffering a major medical incident.
It's understood Cairns suffered an aortic dissection at his home in Canberra last week. He's reportedly had several operations since but has not responded as hoped.
Other news of note this morning:
- As the IPCC climate change report shows global warming will be “catastrophic” for Pacific nations , a young Wellington city councillor says people should direct their energy at asking the Government to act.
- RNZ reports blood stocks across Fiji are now critically low as the country struggles through its Covid crisis.
- New South Wales has reported a record 356 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 , while a Sydney man who forced the coastal town of Byron Bay into lockdown will face criminal action “in due course” .
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned following an inquiry into sexual harassment.
- The wellbeing of New Zealand’s athletes is back in the spotlight following the death of cyclist Olivia Podmore.
- The American woman at the centre of a long-running legal battle with Prince Andrew has filed a civil lawsuit accusing the royal of sexually abusing her 20 years ago.
- The National Party is warning parents they could be prosecuted under a proposed law banning conversion therapy – but the Government says that’s highly unlikely .
- And there’s hope the chronic teacher shortage may be finally easing off , with the number of people studying for the profession now sky-high.
And finally...
It's well established, if not scientifically proven, that men get grumpier as they age.
But how can you stop that transformation into a crusty old curmudgeon?
As Seven Sharp’s Rhys Mathewson discovers, one group of silver foxes has found a way to keep calm and carry on...
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