Time for politicians to work together on housing
CAROL Sheldon (Letters, 22.2.21) refers to the fading dream of many people of being able to own their own house, and calls for an accommodation supplement increase to ease the burden suffered by people forced to rent.
I fear, for some landlords, that would be an invitation to raise the rent.
David Cole (Opinion, 1.2.21) claims that most members of Parliament own multiple dwellings. If this is true, no wonder no real effort is being made to control the situation creating the growing gap between the very wealthy and the poor.
Why can’t National and Labour do the decent thing and work together to reform tax law so that there is a fairer distribution of wealth, and home ownership is a realistic prospect for more people? Unless there is serious action to remedy this injustice, a lot more people and their children will be forced into poverty.
Kathleen Kenrick
Roslyn
Covid
GRAHAM Bulman (Letters, 17.2.21) asks why we are seeing so many Covid19 cases in quarantine, despite them being required to test negative prior to travelling here.
There are several reasons for this. The most likely reason lies in the high false negative rate of the test, which varies with time postinfection.
According to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Medical Centre, the false negative rate drops from 100% on Day 1 postinfection to 67% on Day 4 postinfection.
The false negative rate for those beginning to show symptoms was 38%. The test was found to perform best on the eighth day postinfection. This was on average three days after symptoms appeared, but even then the false negative rate was 20%.
Testing people soon after infection is likely to result in a false negative test. There are obvious dangers if these false negative test results form the basis for changes in Covid19 Alert Levels.
I take little reassurance from the oft used phrase ‘‘all close contacts have tested negative so we can be reassured’’. Multiple tests over time on any one individual of interest are required to establish their true Covid19 status.
Returnees may also contract the virus while in transit to New Zealand, or during their transit to or stay at their quarantine facility. The estimated asymptomatic/paucisymptomatic carrier rate of 30% is yet another story. Dr L. Wakefield
Vauxhall
Christchurch earthquake
IT was totally appropriate for Monday, February 22 to be a Day of Remembrance for the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch. But there is an elephant in the room.
The cricket match against Australia was certainly good for the city’s mood. But what about the people who have been waiting for 10 years to get compensation for their properties damaged or destroyed?
Your report on the remembrance (ODT, 23.2.21) talked of the service as being one of hope, compassion and pride. For those people, hope seems to be an illusion, compassion nonexistent and pride a national shame.
Surely, it is time for the Government to intervene and tell those concerned that it is time to stop squabbling, pay up and restore these people’s dignity.
David Moir
Caversham .....................................
BIBLE READING: Make your light shine so that others will see the good that you do. — Matthew 5:6.