New variants spur calls for possible border closure

WELLINGTON: New variants of Covid19 have spooked experts, provoking renewed calls for New Zealand to consider shutting its border to certain nations that have lost control of the virus.

There were four new cases of Covid19 reported yesterday, all in managed isolation, taking the total number active cases in New Zealand up to 77.

That came on the back of the Ministry of Health’s report on Sunday of 31 new cases over a combined four days.

The first case of a South African strain has been detected at the border recently, while there are at least 19 cases in managed isolation connected to a rapidly spreading and highly infectious strain of the virus that has taken hold in the UK.

Duty Minister Peeni Henare said the Government had been working over the summer period to stay on top of the new strains and the worsening global situation.

He said the Government would not hesitate to introduce more protections as necessary.

Its latest actions include introducing day0 testing for those from higherrisk countries, and from Friday, predeparture testing before returnees from the UK and the US can enter New Zealand.

He said the Government was ‘‘looking closely’’ at other longhaul routes.

Royal New Zealand College of GPs medical director Bryan Betty told 1 News he was very concerned about the emergence of new virus strains.

He said the situation had changed rapidly over the past few weeks as many countries lost control over the virus.

‘‘We need to think very hard about the number of people coming in from those countries that have lost control over this Covid variant.

‘‘That may mean decreasing the number of people coming into the country from places such as the UK, such as the US, such as South Africa.’’

University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker has also said New Zealand might need to close its border to the UK if cases of the new variant there continued to surge.

‘‘I am very concerned, and this is possibly the most dangerous phase we have been in since the August Auckland outbreak,’’ he said.

The new strain forced the UK back into lockdown, amid fears its health system will become overwhelmed, while confirmed deaths in the country have exceeded 80,000.

Experts say the new variant in the UK might infect three people, compared with the old variant which infected two, meaning it would spread much quicker through the community.

Covid19 data modelling expert Shaun Hendy shared a similar warning with RNZ, in that the highest level of New Zealand’s lockdown levels would likely be needed if a community outbreak of either the UK or South African variant was found in New Zealand

‘‘Level 3 was effective back in August . . . but I think if you take into account the extra infectiousness of these new variants, Level 3 is probably not strong enough.’’

Desperate New Zealanders trying to secure a spot in managed isolation facilities have resorted to a new app able to book vouchers as soon as they appear.

1 News said the new system had made about 20 bookings so far for people in the UK, Australia and Southeast Asia.

The creator of the system told 1 News he was not the only one doing it.

New Zealand had 4500 MIQ rooms in total but next month there were just over 4600 bookings, 1 News reported.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it overbooked because not everyone with vouchers would end up using them.

The National Party has urged the Government to speed up its vaccine rollout given the increased risk of the new variants devastating the UK and South Africa.

Party leader Judith Collins said she wanted the Government to consider emergencyuse vaccine provisions for essential border workers ‘‘before it is too late’’.

Mr Henare said New Zealand’s situation was different from other countries as the country had no community transmission at present.

‘‘We are working hard to keep it this way and take nothing for granted.

‘‘We expect to be in a position to start vaccinating frontline workers from April 2021, and the public in the second half of the year.’’

He said Medsafe was working closely with its Australian counterpart, the Therapeutic Goods Administration regarding the data both agencies were receiving from pharmaceutical companies about the vaccines and any approval decisions made by Australia. — The New Zealand Herald

❛ We need to think very hard about the number of people coming in from those countries that have lost control

over this Covid variant