The Prime Minister has set out our plan in the event we have a new case of community transmission of COVID-19 in New Zealand. It’s about continuing to keep New Zealanders safe, while minimising the ongoing economic impact of the virus.
Our border facilities have served us well so far and there is currently no evidence of community transmission in New Zealand. But with COVID-19 now exploding beyond our borders, we must be prepared.
Since we moved to Alert Level 1, the Government has continued work to make sure we are ready to respond to any resurgence in New Zealand.
A new framework has been designed to give us all a better idea of what to expect if a new case is detected in our community. It’s built on the simple principle that to break the chain of transmission we must limit the ability of the virus to move from person to person.
That means little things like washing our hands regularly, coughing or sneezing into our elbows, keeping track of where we go and who we have contact with, and staying home if we feel sick, are all still very important.
That also means bigger things like systems for managed isolation and quarantine, testing and rapid contact tracing, must be tight. I know the Prime Minister is keeping a very close eye on these.
So, if a new case of COVID-19 is detected in our community, the Government would move quickly to apply strong restrictions, but only in a neighbourhood, town or city at first.
Our goal is to act hard and fast, but local, in an attempt to stamp out the virus before it spreads – no one wants to return to a full-scale lockdown.
Local measures would involve strict isolation of cases, and rapid tracing and testing of close contacts. We would also scale up testing and target anyone connected to a case, like workmates, housemates, or neighbours.
If, however, a big cluster emerges, the Government would move quickly to apply strong restrictions across a larger area.
Much wider community testing would be the priority, with a regional shift in alert level likely to restrict travel in or out of the town, city or region affected. People in that area would be asked to work from home, and the size of local gatherings would be restricted.
Again, our goal is to stamp out the virus with the least intrusive measures over the smallest area possible.
If, in a worst case scenario, multiple clusters emerge across the country, the Government would move quickly to apply strong restrictions nationwide.
Our strategy is to eliminate the virus. That has not and will not change. We cannot allow our hospitals to be overrun, more deaths, or our economy to shut down indefinitely.
Our border facilities have served us well so far and there is still no evidence of community transmission of COVID-19 in New Zealand. But we cannot be complacent. That’s why we will continue to be guided by the science, and we’re planning for every eventuality.
I know we can stay on top of this virus as we look to recover and rebuild from its economic impact. Because the facts show that when our team of five million is met with a challenge, we come together and rise to it.
-Marja Lubeck Labour List MP based in Rodney, Auckland.