Teamwork is what we need now

As the coronavirus situation develops daily in New Zealand, and even though it is an election year, how about we see the Government bring National to the table and involve them in the planning to mitigate the pandemic effects here?

This is a major event affecting the economy and health system capacity among other things.

We need to see our political representatives come together and do what is best for the country without the politicking and bickering over who has the best plan.

Let’s see our leaders rise above the political mire and lead as a united team with a consensual plan and a consistent message.

It would also be exceedingly beneficial to the general attitude toward, and reputation of, our politicians to see them co-operating in this national emergency rather than meaningless and unhelpful point-scoring.

Statesmanship and the country’s best interests should be the order of the day. Maybe it is too much to ask?

Graeme Peters, Strowan

Put politicking aside

Without daring to suggest an actual coalition Government, I wonder if it might be possible for our political parties to work together in something approaching harmony during the Covid19 crisis, and to avoid interparty politicking until later.

Such a grown-up attitude would show maturity while assisting with the introduction of the best methods of dealing with the situation, but I fear this might be beyond the capability of politicians to grasp.

Vic Smith, Halswell

Self-isolation queries

Having just perused the latest on ‘‘selfisolation’’ there are a few concerns that immediately spring to mind.

A person arriving into or returning to New Zealand is allowed to take an onward domestic flight and is advised to sit in a window seat or have a row to themselves. Really? How is this likely to be the case?

It’s more likely that after infecting several on the plane and at the airport by sitting near them or using the bathroom, they will get into a taxi or shuttle and infect more people.

I’m also confused by the not being close to someone for longer than 15 minutes’ edict. Why 15 minutes? Surely if someone sneezed five times in a row, as is happening with coronavirus, another could be infected immediately.

Enforcement is also a huge issue. What will force tourists to stay put when they feel well and are here to experience everything our wonderful country has to offer?

It makes more sense to me to close our borders completely to overseas visitors and put residents into immediate isolation if we really want to contain this outbreak.

Most unfortunately for all of us, overkill seems the only sensible solution and ultimately will cause us less cost and strife than a virulent outbreak.

Ella Harris, Riccarton

What the future holds

Covid-19, it seems, is affecting adversely those over a certain age and one might be forgiven for hoping, if not thinking, that in this day and age of the welfare state, due care and attention will be paid to all, irrespective.

Sadly this does not appear to be happening in, for example, in at least one European country where now those affected over 80 years of age will not get the attention they deserve but will presumably be left to their own devices.

This is a worrying state of affairs but there might, nonetheless, be an unappreciated bonus for those remaining in society. When lots of oldies get an unexpected early train to the grave a lot will happen in society.

State and private pension funds will cease to haemorrhage, the cashed-up gerontocracy no longer extant will leave behind a property glut and all of a sudden the clouds of grief enveloping the remaining kin will part to offer a silver lining of a new future where property prices will drop and pension funds will reenter the fray afresh. This will encourage the younger generation to have a mind for the future, one that will hopefully not be that which their grandparents’ generation had just suffered.

In some other countries elsewhere, where there is little in the way of a welfare state and where a rejection of Obama-care type assistance reigns supreme, one can only imagine the horrors that might befall the unfortunates.

John D Mahony, Mt Pleasant

Buying time?

The draconian measures announced by the Government on Saturday relating to technically closing our border, with a 14-day isolation period to anyone who isn’t from the Pacific Islands, to slow the spread of the coronavirus is commendable.

However does this say more about the lack of preparedness by the health sector from underfunding, and a fear that should the virus make inroads into the population, that it could not cope? It looks to me the Government is trying to buy itself time to manage both scenarios.

Stuart Brannigan, Southbridge

Sweat it out

I have read that Covid-19 cannot survive at high temperatures. A solution could be in native American sweat lodges or Scandinavian saunas.

For 21⁄2 years as an 18-year-old working seven days a week at a uranium mine in Canada, I never got ill because I used a sweat lodge, built by local and Scandinavian miners.

The cause and solution is always there in nature – just like the herding instincts of emperor penguins rotating to minimise exposure to the elements.

Brian Brodie, Mairehau

Emissions sent packing

Looks like the virus is doing what the world’s politicians couldn’t do, ie grounded half the world’s airlines and tied up the cruise liners, cutting the carbon emissions to help slow down the unstoppable global warming.

Les Cliff, Parklands

On our doorstep

Here is a suggestion: You do not need to travel far. Get into town and visit our art gallery. You don’t even need to pay to enter. Enjoy the great exhibition of New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins’ work, spread out over many rooms.

Thank you to the curators of the gallery. It is such a joy to see it all so beautifully exhibited.

Solvejg Ruarus, Governors Bay

Loan looks like a loser

Thank goodness the madness of lending money to Canterbury Cricket Trust has been halted. With coronavirus confirmed in New Zealand, there is even less chance of ratepayers’ money being repaid. Sports gatherings are likely to be cancelled with consequent decrease in revenue for sporting bodies holding events.

The trust has a record of debt and is not an acceptable or appropriate recipient of such a large loan. This is not a political opinion but my thanks go to the city councillors who voted against this loan and demonstrated that they have some business nous and social conscience.

M D Wright, Burnside

Open up Eagle file

We are told that the use of the police helicopter in Christchurch is a trial.

Perhaps police could share with us its objectives; and the measures or criteria to be used to measure the success of the trial. Please, not hours in the air, or cases responded to. That will tell me nothing other than they have been busy.

I expect we will be told it was a success but how that conclusion was reached is confidential for all manner of reasons. A bit of openness would be a nice thing here. Richard Johnson, Bryndwr