There was an article in the media recently with an MP in the hot seat doing the official humble prostration to media and listing all of her sins to be atoned for, closely followed by another article giving sage advice on how best to avoid such scandals in future.
In the same week, there were exactly zero articles that closely followed Newsroom’s breaking news that “diplomats have been tasked with ensuring New Zealand can opt out of health rules rather than focusing on strong new pandemic prevention measures” as part of the Pandemic Treaty negotiations.
Instead, we were supposed to pay attention to Health Minister Shane Reti when he said “New Zealand… was well-placed to respond to future pandemics”.
A few things we are not supposed to pay attention to:
WorkSafe declaring that Covid is “now like other community-based infectious illnesses” and there are only a “few workplaces where COVID-19 is a risk directly related to your work”.
Workplaces have no minimum health and safety requirements to prevent the spread of airborne pandemic diseases.
This is despite Covid being classed as an occupational disease in other countries, despite advice from New Zealand experts earlier this year that “society, sector, and workforce effects of Long Covid are costly and disruptive, and they worsen existing inequities” - and that preventive action is “urgently needed”.
This is despite the overwhelming research that continues to support the fact that Covid is not like community-based illnesses.
We are not supposed to be aware of what a health and safety regulator does - put minimum standards in place to protect the health of workers.
We’re not supposed to wonder why WorkSafe is deliberately minimising Covid facts.
Like the fact that even mild Covid is linked to brain damage.
Like the fact that WHO said in January 2024:
“COVID is still a global health threat, and it's causing far too much burden when we can prevent it.
Five, ten, years from now, what are we going to see in terms of cardiac impairment, of pulmonary impairment of neurologic impairment? We don't know."
There have been no articles querying the WorkSafe advice, or how it relates to the Health and Safety at Work Act - or the human right to health.
In terms of the fit state of pandemic preparedness declared by New Zealand’s Health Minister, we are also not supposed to pay attention to the following:
Clean air has been identified as an important tool to fight airborne pandemic diseases, yet there’s no clean air policy in place.
RAT test funding is about to be removed.
Wastewater test funding is about to be removed.
Initiatives to research/pilots to support ongoing pandemic impacts have been cut or remain unfunded, meaning any learning we could apply to the next pandemic is unrealised.
Mask-wearing has been well and truly scuppered by conspiracy theorists and/or politicians seizing an opportunity - yet experts say there is an argument for introducing policies around mask use - especially around vulnerable people.
The updated Novavax vaccine remains unavailable in New Zealand - despite being released in October 2023.
Access to antivirals and to booster vaccines is still restricted.
We fired our communications staff.
We are lucky to see any reporting on case numbers or wastewater levels.
Our politicians show open disdain for science and Covid response.
Four years in, the Ministries of Health, Social Development, Education and Employment are still not talking to each other or identifying gaps… like support for those with Long Covid.
Our health system remains demonstrably under-resourced and under-funded, with excessive wait times for patients.
We are not supposed to wonder why we are “well-placed to respond to future pandemics” if we are demonstrably failing to respond to the current one.
We are not supposed to petition for the right to health.
We are supposed to normalise schools closing, normalise impact to heart, brain and lungs, accept that our preparedness means for the few, not the many.
This week, there was an article about schools struggling due to Covid impact.
Apparently, efforts to increase the relief teacher pool would make the biggest difference.
Whatever the advice was about avoiding scandals, someone has been taking notes.