The government will announce today whether Northland will remain in red under the Covid-19 traffic light system.
Cabinet ministers met yesterday to decide whether it is tweaking settings that have all regions at orange except Te Tai Tokerau.
Northland is also the only region that does not have at least 90 per cent of people over 12 vaccinated.
But as of yesterday it is now at 89 per cent for first doses, just 1423 off the target.
At red, gatherings at private properties are limited to 100 people.
People need vaccine passes to enter hospitality venues and gyms.
Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Steve Smith told RNZ being stuck in red had disheartened businesses.
"It's very unfortunate that we are so early in the year and we are already seeing that malaise of tiredness and stress coming back to the fore, even though many of us have had a holiday," Smith says.
He says a move to orange is overdue - and he disagrees with the government's last decision to keep Te Tai Tokerau in red.
"To some extent, we have missed our seasonal peak, it's come and gone. There's still more of the summer left but of course, people's abilities to travel and have holidays are far more limited."
Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai has less confidence in a traffic light change, knowing an Omicron outbreak is possibly imminent.
"This the next big risk and employers - council for example - we're preparing for up to a quarter of our people to be away at any time. And of course, that has an impact on our ability to provide the services to our community," Mai says.
"I am pleased that I'm not one of the decision makers as to whether or not we move."
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health said it is looking at whether to tweak the traffic light system in the face of Omicron.
The Director-General of Health says the government is due to share plans of its Omicron preparations in the coming weeks.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield says the declining number of cases in the ongoing Delta outbreak shows the traffic light system has worked well.
But he told Morning Report the system, based on vaccination certificates, is less suited to Omicron.
Read more here.
The prime minister will make the traffic light announcement this afternoon.
3 comments
Red
Posted on 20-01-2022 07:57 | By Slim Shady
Maybe she could announce why we now only have 108 ICU beds in NZ? I distinctly remember Andrew Little saying we could “surge” from the 300+ we are supposed to have, to 500+. We seem to have surged the wrong way. Staff leaving in droves, many overseas. Nobody coming in to replace them. Why would you with the draconian border settings. Downward spiral and the only response is more restrictions and shutting the border even more.
UK
Posted on 20-01-2022 09:36 | By Slim Shady
The UK has announced they will be scrapping self isolation altogether in the coming weeks. No need to isolate even if positive. Meanwhile, in NZ, we put people in prison for 10 days even if negative. That's if they manage to win a golden ticket on Jacinda's MIQ Lucky Lotto.
@Slim Shady
Posted on 20-01-2022 12:49 | By morepork
Good to see you posting again, Slim. I agree with you that the ICU bed situation is shameful. These beds cost around 2.5 million on average (includes building adjustment to accommodate then) and we have nowhere near enough of them. Little simply lied; we never had 300. I have no problem with border tightening (partly because we don't have the resources to facilitate increasing numbers of cases coming in), but I certainly agree that by now, we should have significantly more ICU capability than we do. There are a small number planned for six months time. It is pathetic.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.