The new NZ divide: those anxious about Covid-19’s inevitable spread, and the accepting – Stuff.co.nz

A new divide is emerging: There are those accepting the virus will soon be present in their community, and those anxious about the toll Covid-19 will take on them and their whnau should it leak into their hometowns.

Since New Zealand officially shifted from the widely backed elimination strategy, to that of the traffic light system, community cases of Covid-19 have been talked about as an inevitability.

But those in areas still struggling to improve vaccination coverage dont think it should be inevitable they bear the brunt of community transmission.

This has seen a new chasm open over the summer period, between those desperate for the movement that will bring some semblance of normalcy; and those whove asked holidaymakers to stay away to protect the health of their communities just for one more summer.

Liz Carlson/Stuff

Some tourism operators and locals are gagging for business, others have asked holidaymakers to stay away. Its our first taste of the new New Zealand divide.

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Victoria University of Wellington clinical psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland says the starkly different mindsets show a shift in values.

In the early days of the pandemic, the so-called Team of 5 Million was united behind the simplistic elimination strategy. The priority value was health.

As the pandemic morphs, making value judgments had become increasingly complex. Different groups were placing greater emphasis on different factors, depending on how they had been affected, Sutherland said.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Jacinda Ardern said elimination was never going to be forever. But the next phase is more complicated.

In December, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Stuff that transitioning out of the elimination strategy was hard, because there was such a simplicity to it. And there was a unity that came from it, too.

But those in charge always knew elimination was not a forever strategy, she said.

Now, with 92 per cent of the eligible population double-vaccinated, and the beginning of a booster programme that saw more than 40,000 shots administered on the first day of walk-in vaccines, Ardern says the traffic light system is enough to keep the country safe.

Ross Giblin/Stuff

Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins continues to tell people to preapre for the virus in the community.

Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins took this a step further when responding to the countrys first active community Omicron case.

Whether its Omicron or Delta, Covid-19 is here, he said.

We are moving to a point where there is going to be freer movement at the border. We have delayed making that shift to allow people to get their booster doses; to start us on the pathway to rolling out childhood vaccinations, he said. But we are moving to a different space now; we are going to have Covid-19 in the community.

Many have been mentally preparing for the community spread of Covid-19 for a long time. At some point, New Zealand will have to relax its border controls, which will increase the risk of the virus leaking.

But those who are more vulnerable to the adverse health effects of Covid-19 have taken it upon themselves to keep the virus at bay at least a little longer.

As University of Auckland microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles has repeatedly said: None of us are safe until were all safe.

Lawrence Smith/Stuff

Theres clear evidence from a medical point of view that this is not going to be good for Tai Tokerau Mori, in particular, Tai Tokerau generally, to have the borders open, Hone Harawira says about keeping Northlands borders closed.

Tai Tokerau has the lowest rate of double vaccinated people, at 84 per cent. And just 76 per cent of Northland regions Mori population has had two shots.

Its against this backdrop that former MP and longtime activist Hone Harawira led the region in establishing Tai Tokerau Border Control in an effort to police who comes into the region over the busy summer months.

The group has been petitioning the Government to keep Northlands boundary closed until vaccination rates in Tai Tokerau reach 90 per cent.

This isnt just crazy radicals saying shut the border, Harawira said in December.

Theres clear evidence from a medical point of view that this is not going to be good for Tai Tokerau Mori, in particular, Tai Tokerau generally, to have the borders open.

David Kirkland/Northland Inc

Local iwi have asked non-locals to stay away from popular spot Maitai Bay this summer.

At the same time, Ngti Kahu has asked holidaymakers to stay away from popular spots in the Far North.

Ngti Kahu chair Margaret Mutu said Te Whnau Moana o Karikari hap, with the support of Ngti Kahu iwi, decided to keep the Maitai Bay Campground on the Karikari Peninsula shut over the Christmas holiday period to protect local residents.

They also asked Aucklanders and those travelling through Auckland to stay away from other iwi territories, including the rest of the Karikari Peninsula, Mangnui, Coopers Beach and Cable Bay.

The kuia and kaumtua of Karikari are extremely worried for their whnau, Mutu said.

On the other side, struggling businesses are desperate for people to visit.

Former Tai Tokerau-based MP Shane Jones said he feared this approach would see Aucklanders go elsewhere for the summer.

Jones asked: What profit is there in saving lives whilst destroying livelihoods?

Supplied

The owner of the iconic Duke of Marlborough hotel in Northland is begging for a more targeted approach, which will give businesses and tourists certainty.

An Infometrics local economic report, looking at a range of scenarios for the tourism sector, found it would be years until international tourism rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.

While the country came out of lockdown in time for the summer, Northlands red traffic light status had stopped it from rebounding the way many had hoped.

The border checks and general uncertainty about whether people can travel to Auckland and what they can do when they arrive, also dampened domestic tourist demand.

The Infometrics report did not provide an outlook for domestic tourism spending for Northland because the uncertainty of the Covid-19 settings made it difficult to forecast or provide realistic scenarios for domestic traveller spending.

Duke of Marlborough owner Riki Kinnaird said the uncertainty had led to anxiety and despair for tourism businesses in the region.

Those in the Bay of Islands made up to 50 per cent of their revenue between December and February.

While it was a heavily seasonal model, it had always been predictable.

But things have become highly unpredictable, Kinnaird said.

His hotel was doing 1700 meals a day pre-Covid, now theyre doing 500. Summer spending has been decimated, Waitangi Weekend has been cancelled, and theres a question mark hanging over Auckland Anniversary weekend and Easter.

Youre left spinning plates until more business comes back in.

Kinnaird did not have an issue with those turning people away in other parts of the region they were good people, trying to do the right thing, he said.

But he didnt believe that was the right approach for the entire region.

Kinnaird urged the Government to create a more targeted approach to restrictions and support packages for those struggling to keep their heads above water.

Tairawhiti Gisborne

Tairwhiti health leaders have also asked people to keep away this summer, meaning cancelled events and holiday plans.

Tairwhiti on the east cape is in a similar boat, with 86 per cent of the eligible general population double-vaccinated. The regions eligible Mori population is 80 per cent double-vaxxed

But Tairwhiti also has a large youth population, which cannot yet get the vaccine.

This has led to the cancellation of large events, such as the Rhythm and Vines New Year's Eve festival, and sporadic checkpoints. Its also seen private accommodation providers cancel bookings.

In one case, a Hicks Bay accommodation provider cancelled bookings after being formally approached by the local iwi authority, which was concerned about the low vaccination rates in the East Coast Tairwhiti region, and the strain a Covid-19 outbreak could put on the health services.

Given that the December-February period is peak time for us, we have taken time to consider their request and have reluctantly decided to close down the house and cancel all bookings with a full refund of course, the accommodation providers said in an email.

As Auckland prepared to open in December, Matakaoa Covid-19 response lead Ani Pahuru-Huriwai told Stuff she understood whnau and visitors who had planned to travel to Tairwhiti this summer were excited to finally be let out.

And ordinarily, they would be welcoming everybody home with open arms.

But for some, the nearest hospital was three hours away; there was no GP, and health service providers were already under stress.

Its just this summer, then hopefully, well be in a much better position. And well have a massive party with everybody at home. Well definitely be needing one by then, Pahuru-Huriwai said.

STUFF

How vaccination helps prevent the spread of Covid-19 (English subtitles).

The move away from the elimination strategy, at a time when both Delta and Omicron loom large, makes it difficult to decide how best to move forward.

It becomes a juggling act.

The Government says being vaccinated and following the traffic light guidance is enough. Some prominent public health professionals say people need to go further. Others think there should no longer be restrictions.

Where once there was unity, now theres uncertainty.

Victoria Universitys Sutherland said as this divide became apparent it was important not to make value judgments, but to try and empathise with other peoples positions.

That did not mean agreeing with them, but trying to understand why they felt the way they did.

Cameron Burnell/Stuff

Dr Dougal Sutherland said New Zealanders needed to practise empathy, work on compromise, and find something new to rally around to avoid further division as the country navigated the next stage of the pandemic.

As the pandemic hits different people in different ways, those values come into play. And if your values are being impinged on, that makes you feel anxious or angry.

If people engaged in empathic conversations, it reduced the sense of us versus them, he said.

Our brains automatically want us to be black and white, because thats much more simple to deal with.

But that could lead to a more polarised society, where people were angrier and more anxious.

Sutherland said New Zealanders needed to practise empathy, work on compromise, and find something new to rally around to avoid further division as the country navigated the next stage of the pandemic.

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The new NZ divide: those anxious about Covid-19's inevitable spread, and the accepting - Stuff.co.nz