Labour / NZ First Government

[Zaphod]

Wonder how Vagabond47 is feeling, swallowing whole the garbage fed to him.

Based on the sound bite from, and in light of the facts now presented, the statement from the PM was definitely incorrect. I'm very surprised that regular testing of all staff in close contact with known or suspected carriers were not tested regularly. Another lesson to be learnt.

[Balance]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...l-stays-silent

Go, David Seymour - tell it as it is.

This government has one job (they have failed in pretty much everything else) and they cannot even do it.

It is true - Cindy & her incompetents cannot even run a bath.

[tim23]

Well National have you fooled but not the rest of the public.
Any fool could see how and why he was trying to seed rumors and create a story.
Dirty politics is just their way.

Quite right its hard wired to their DNA - they simply can't help themselves

[tim23]

And PR spin (which insidiously fools the public) is this government’s modus operandi to bluff their way out of the messes they create.

No answer or explanation yet from Chris & Cindy why all frontline staff were not tested as a matter of course.

Another stuff up to be covered up by PR spin.

Kiwibuild, anyone?

Jog on Balance

[moka]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...report-of-case

Now we have the government spreading false rumours!

‘Let’s Keep Spreading!’

The article says - In a release just after 3pm Friday, the Ministry of Health confirmed it had incorrectly named Pakuranga College as an affected school.
“While there is a casual link, the ministry is awaiting further test results and at this point no additional public health action is required from the school,” it said.
“The ministry apologises for putting information in the public domain without first notifying the school.”

[moka]

The govt has, rightly, received much acclaim for its handling of the situation until recently. Now, they must also accept blame for deficiencies in border controls, particularly in the failure to adequately test the personnel involved.

I don't disagree, but we are where we are. Blame lies where it lies. Politicians don't easily accept said blame.

I don't mean that flippantly, rather I just find the blame game fatiguing and ultimately wasted energy... Best to have them putting energy into coming up with a strategy that (a) prevents such deficiencies occurring again and (b) provides the country and businesses (the economic engine) with a plan that is supported by objective analysis that reduces the overhang of uncertainty.

I agree that blame is wasted energy because it focuses on the past, and stays stuck there. Taking response-ability means learning from past mistakes, responding to the problem, and looking at strategies and solutions so it doesn’t happen again. It means being answerable and accountable.
When you say “now, they must also accept blame,” it means finding fault because to blame is not just to hold responsible but to find fault with.

[moka]

So we now know that 63.5% of border frontline staff have NOT been tested as of Wednesday, 12th August 2020.

7 weeks (yes, 7 weeks) after this government made this announcement about the testing of front line staff :

Government announcement :

23 JUNE 2020

New COVID-19 testing strategy to keep New Zealand safe

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/...w-zealand-safe

Regular health check and asymptomatic testing of all border facing workers

“Under our enhanced strategy, priority for testing will be given to those who are most likely to have been exposed to COVID-19 which is our border and airline staff and those arriving back in New Zealand.

These workers include:

Border workers in customs, biosecurity, immigration and aviation security at airports, and the people who clean at international airports or maritime ports in areas/conveniences visited by international arrivals

Staff who work in managed isolation and quarantine facilities, including those who drive people entering the country from the airport to the facilities

International air and maritime crew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The press release is not SMART as in specific and measurable. Regular could be once a year.
I would say that there is not an unlimited supply of testing swabs, so the government is careful about testing e.g. Chris Hipkins saying "We shouldn't test people if we don't need to, and for testing to be helpful it had to be targeted and not random.” He also said not all border workers were at risk of coming into contact with the virus which was why not all had been tested.
Testing has been limited to having symptoms or meeting certain criteria. Even now testing is limited.

A “Covid-19 situation update” report from June, the most recent report to be proactively released by the Government, shows officials considered there was “sufficient capacity” in the contact tracing system, and more than 250,000 testing swabs in stock.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...kdown-decision

[jonu]

The press release is not SMART as in specific and measurable. Regular could be once a year.
I would say that there is not an unlimited supply of testing swabs, so the government is careful about testing e.g. Chris Hipkins saying "We shouldn't test people if we don't need to, and for testing to be helpful it had to be targeted and not random.” He also said not all border workers were at risk of coming into contact with the virus which was why not all had been tested.
Testing has been limited to having symptoms or meeting certain criteria. Even now testing is limited.

A “Covid-19 situation update” report from June, the most recent report to be proactively released by the Government, shows officials considered there was “sufficient capacity” in the contact tracing system, and more than 250,000 testing swabs in stock.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...kdown-decision

We were told at a briefing this week that there was more than 300,000 tests available. Hardly a reason to limit testing at the most vulnerable point of the defence system which we were also told involved 6-7000 people. You're seriously stretching credibility moka. As is the government.

[Balance]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/...ectid=12356709

Paywall

Cindy - Shameless Mistress of Spin

Let’s Keep Spreading the Virus & Spin to cover up.

[fungus pudding]

Hipkins on The Nation this morning, confirmed my previous thoughts. He should be appointed as permanent Minister of Health and find someone else to take over as Minister of Education. Although there aren't many to choose from. Carmel Sepoloni perhaps?