New Zealand heads at breakneck speed towards a two-tiered society
Jacinda Adern’s Great Reset.
This, along with the suicides and ruined lives is the true legacy of the Jacinda Adern government.
From behind a paywall
Trouble on its way and here now.
Jacinda has introduced her vaccine passports and locked approximately 10 per cent of an essential workforce out.
Covid-19 NZ: Vaccine passes launched, will be needed for ‘extra freedoms’ over summer
17 November, 2021
The Government has launched its long-awaited vaccine pass, with those who are fully vaccinated able to download a pass later on Wednesday morning.
The website to request the pass almost immediately crashed under the load – something the Government warned was likely.
The “My Vaccine Pass” will take the form of a QR code that can be shown digitally or on printed paper, allowing venues to check whether a person has been vaccinated against Covid-19 or not.
Under the traffic-light system the Government is keen to move the country to soon, the passes will be needed to attend large festivals and any other venue that chooses to require them. Venues that choose to require them will be able to operate more freely, even when there is Covid-19 in the community.
It’s still unclear if the vaccine passes would be needed to leave Auckland over the summer. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is set to announce more details on the plans for Auckland’s border over the summer at 1pm on Wednesday.
Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said the passes would allow the 3.4 million people who had received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine to enjoy “extra freedoms” over the summer.
“We’re asking fully vaccinated New Zealanders to get ready for summer by requesting their pass,” Hipkins said.
“It is your official proof of vaccination and a ticket to enjoy the extra freedoms that will come with the COVID-19 Protection Framework. To get one, people will need to be fully vaccinated or be one of the very small number of Kiwis who has received a medical exemption.”
Those who have had both doses will be able to log into mycovidrecord.nz and request a pass from Wednesday morning – or ring 0800 222 478.
The pass will include a person’s name, date of birth, and a QR code. It can be saved to a phone wallet or printed out.
However, it will expire after six months.
The “small number” of people unable to get the vaccine for medical reasons will also be eligible for the pass, and children under the age of 12 will not be required to show proof of vaccination anywhere.
Vaccine passes will not be required at schools, supermarkets, or other “essential” businesses.
The Government has hinted that eventually a booster shot may be needed to keep a vaccine pass current, but have said that could be some time off.
Hipkins said it was likely that there could be some overload on the system on Wednesday, but people should be patient.
“People can log in from later this morning, but we’re asking for patience and for people to wait for a couple of days to ease any demand on the IT system and call centre staff,” Hipkins said.
“The pass will mean people will be able to do the things they love, like going to concerts and music festivals, nights out at bars and restaurants, and going to the gym and sports events.”
“We don’t want anyone to miss out, so we’re strongly encouraging those who’ve been putting off getting a vaccine to take that step now, as we prepare to transition into the COVID-19 Protection Framework.”
People will be able to request a separate vaccine certificate for overseas travel if required. The European Union announced on Tuesday it would recognise New Zealand’s vaccine certificate.
Anyone who was vaccinated overseas will also be able to request a vaccine pass, but this could take up to two weeks.
National has been repeatedly criticising the Government for the lack of a vaccine pass system.
The party’s Covid-19 spokesman Chris Bishop noted on Tuesday that the contract for the delivery of the vaccine pass was only signed on October 13.
“It’s been obvious to everyone since the start of the year that New Zealand would need proof of vaccination and a vaccine certificate in some form, but only in recent months has the Government bothered to do any work to get a scheme ready.”
“If we had vaccine certificates right now, Auckland would be a markedly different place. Aucklanders could leave the region and travel to see loved ones. Hospitality could open. People could go back to work.”
National has also said some sort of sunset clause is needed on the use of such passes.
Covid-19: Freedoms shrinking for unvaccinated
People who refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19 will soon see their freedoms curtailed as the Government seeks expert advice on whether it can move the nation to the new traffic light system earlier than indicated.
The new system offers better protection than the alert level system as it restricts the unvaccinated from going to places where the Covid typically spreads like cafes, bars and other crowded places, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said during an update on the pandemic response in Wellington on Tuesday.
”One of the important things here is the ability to reduce the likelihood of super spreader-type events and spreading settings where we know the virus spreads. That is where the new Covid protection framework is really important because it does restrict unvaccinated people from accessing the sort of settings where you’re likely to see spread.”
The Government is seeking expert health advice over whether the country can move into the framework before each district health board has vaccinated 90 per cent of the eligible population with two doses. That rate is now sitting at 80 per cent nationwide.
It also launched its new vaccine pass on Wednesday , a QR code allowing venues to check whether a person has been vaccinated against Covid-19, which will come into force under the new traffic light system.
About 90 per cent of people aged 12 and above have had one dose of the vaccine across the country, but it is as low as 83 and 84 per cent in Tairawhiti and Whanganui District Health Boards respectively. Meanwhile 222 new community cases were reported on Tuesday – the highest daily total in the pandemic.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said a decision on the Auckland boundary would come on Wednesday but the decision to shift the supercity to the traffic light system won’t be made until November 29. Its three district health boards have passed the 90 per cent mark for vaccine first doses.
“We do need to allow Aucklanders, who have been doing the heavy lifting for New Zealand, to be able to move in time for Christmas and summer,” she said.
Vaccine mandates have already come into force for the education, health and correction workforces while workers in hospitality and close-contact businesses using vaccine certificates are to be mandated for vaccination under the traffic light system.
It sets out green, amber and red levels, giving more freedom to the vaccinated and using the vaccine certificate My Vaccine Pass to put limits on venues where staff and patrons aren’t vaccinated, making it a powerful motivation for people to get inoculated.
The introduction of vaccine passes will see the unvaccinated unable to go into many bars, restaurants and venues and even at the lowest level of green, will face restrictions for the number of guests allowed at their weddings and funerals.
Ministry of Health data shows cases and hospitalisations increase when fewer people are vaccinated.
It used two scenarios of 10,000 people – one where 50 per cent are vaccinated and one where 90 per cent are vaccinated.
In both scenarios vaccinated people can still contract the virus and need hospital care, but at a lower rate when more people are inoculated.
In the first scenario, where 50 per cent are vaccinated, only 375 in the vaccinated group would contract the virus, and 13 of those would need to go to hospital. But of the 5000 who were not vaccinated, 2500 – half – would catch the virus and 250 would need to go to hospital. In total there would be 2875 cases and 263 hospitalisations.
In the second scenario, at a 90 per cent vaccination rate, only 675 vaccinated people would contract the virus and 23 would need hospital level care. This is more people, but a lower proportion overall. Among the unvaccinated, a group of 1000 people, half of them would catch the virus and 50 would need to go to hospital. In total this would be 1175 Covid cases and 73 hospitalisations.
Bloomfield said people fully vaccinated were also 32 times less likely to die from Covid-19 than those unvaccinated, based on data from the United Kingdom.
Slavery dressed up as “freedom”
COVID-19: Vaccine certificate system ‘already struggling to cope’, site crashing as Kiwis try to secure their ticket to freedom – Chris Hipkins
Kiwis are now able to download their ticket to freedom – if they can get on the website.
As of Wednesday morning, people will be able to download their vaccine certificates – a document that certifies its holder is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – via the Ministry of Health’s platform, My COVID Record.
The certificates, My Vaccine Pass, are set to become an integral part of the ‘classic Kiwi summer’, with the document serving as a key to festivals, events – even a meal out with friends – under the upcoming COVID-19 Protection Framework. The new ‘traffic light’ framework will replace the existing alert level system when 90 percent of eligible Kiwis are fully vaccinated – scrapping lockdowns for good.
Under the new system, freedoms will be determined by vaccine certificates. For example, under the ‘red’ setting, hospitality venues will be able to open with up to 100 fully vaccinated people, but businesses that opt not to use the certificates must continue with contactless trade. The Government has already signalled the certificates will be mandated for the events sector, meaning anyone hoping to attend a concert this summer will be required to present their pass to gain entry.
I listened last night to the first-hand accounts of the excluded including a corrections worker who described what might be on its way for a sector that is already under huge pressure.
COVID-19 vaccination mandate decision for police ‘imminent’ – Poto Williams
A decision on mandating COVID-19 vaccination for police is “imminent”, according to Police Minister Poto Williams.
“The mandating? We are working on that with other ministers right now and decisions on that are imminent, very soon,” she told reporters when asked for an update.
“They’re very soon, so alongside other ministers, we have to make decisions, but that won’t be far away. I’ve already been on record as wanting to keep the police safe.”
The Government has already mandated vaccination for border workers, health workers, education staff and customer-facing personnel such as hospitality – about 40 percent of the workforce so far.
The deadline for education staff to have had their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine was on Monday, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was unaware of any schools seeking an exemption for staff.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins told The AM Show on Wednesday there were “about less than a dozen schools that the Ministry of Education are working very closely with that are having more issues than others”.
“That’s not to say other schools haven’t had to juggle things but most schools have been able to manage this,” Hipkins said.
“Across the health sector and across the education sector we’ve had really, really good levels of uptake. The latest report I had from DHBs was down to about 2 to 3 percent at most of all of the DHB staff who hadn’t been fully vaccinated. That’s a really high vaccination rate across District Health Boards.”
Vaccine mandates have been a particularly contentious issue for the Government. An estimated 2000 people marched on Parliament last week demanding the mandates be repealed, and MPs have revealed death threats from anti-vaxxers.
The latest Ministry of Health data shows there are still 57,625 eligible people yet to receive a first dose of the vaccine for DHBs to reach 90 percent. The highest is in Northland, where 11,758 people have yet to receive a dose.
New Zealand Tells Schools to Phone the Police if Unvaccinated Staff Show Up
Unjabbed who try to get on school premises face fines.
Authorities in New Zealand have told schools to phone the police if unvaccinated staff show up for work.
Yes, really.
“The advice, published in the Ministry’s gazette on Thursday, tells school leaders that if they, or any education staff, turn up to work on Monday unvaccinated against Covid, they will be committing an offence,” reports the Mail Australia.
Any staff member who hasn’t had the COVID vaccine by November 15th who tries to enter school grounds will be subject to a fine as part of the country’s “no jab, no job” policy.
“If staff do turn up on site after this date, we encourage school leaders to deal with this in the usual manner you would if other inappropriate people were to turn up on site,” states the advice from the Ministry of Education.
“If you feel your safety or the safety of akonga (pupils or students) or other staff is compromised, you could consider contacting the police.”
As we previously highlighted, New Zealand has imposed one of the most brutal lockdowns in the developed world, in some instances locking down entire areas of the country after just a single COVID case.
Earlier this summer, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern mimicked Australia’s top public health official by telling citizens, “Don’t talk to your neighbors.”
“Stay local and do not congregate, don’t talk to your neighbors, please keep to your bubbles,” said Ardern.
Meanwhile, people in New Zealand who die as a result of being shot to death are being counted as official COVID-19 fatalities.
A Heart Wrenching Example of Jacinda Ardern’s Two Tier Society
I paid a visit to a teacher friend who will lose his job tomorrow because of Jacinda Ardern’s no jab no job mandates. It was heart breaking & angering in equal measure
A school teacher who refuses to be vaccinated says she has shed tears as 15 years of educating children nears a premature end.
With Covid-19 vaccinations being mandated for teachers across the country before midnight on November 15, Rachael Mortimer said she would not be turning up for work at her South Canterbury school on November 16.
“It’s basically 15 years of a career down the drain. Fifteen years of learning the craft of teaching and helping these kids,” she said.
The mother of three, who is the sole bread winner in her family, is among an unknown number of teachers who are refusing to be vaccinated across the country and will be barred from their school grounds after November 15.
READ MORE:
* ‘Freedom of choice’ protestors march in Invercargill
* Southern school may lose two out of its five teachers due to vaccine mandate
* School teacher: ‘I won’t be getting Covid-19 jab’
Mortimer said she had previous health issues and was unwilling to get the vaccine, while she was unwilling to be “bullied” by the Government to do something she did not want to do.
She had tried and failed to get a medical exemption, she said.
“I am pretty upset, I have had a few cries … but I am also really angry. I don’t want to leave, I feel this choice has been completely taken away from me.”
Antony Criglington, principal of Tapanui School in West Otago, said he was facing the loss of one of his five teachers due to being unvaccinated, a better situation than a week ago when he feared he would lose two.
“I think we are resigned to the fact people’s careers are being ruined by this. It’s not good for anyone,” he said
Mandating vaccinations was “fairly unprecedented” and the issue was having an adverse effect on relationships between teachers.
“It’s also playing with people’s livelihoods.”
Griglington, who is fully vaccinated and stressed he was not anti vaccination, said he was fully aware of what the Government was trying to achieve, but he didn’t agree with the mandating decision.
“When you are talking about something this personal, something that’s happening to your body, you should be allowed to choose.”
An existing shortage of teachers would just get worse and he had issue with the mandate being enforced so close to the end of school year, given the disruption it was causing schools.
“Surely they could have waited four weeks.”
He also believed the public should have been given the choice of more than one Covid-19 vaccine.
Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the Pfizer vaccine remained the primary vaccine in New Zealand. But work was under way to introduce the AstraZeneca vaccine as an alternative option for the “very small” number of over 18s who were unable to have the Pfizer vaccine for medical reasons, and for people hesitant to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
Mandating was never an easy decision, Hipkins said.
“We made this decision to reduce the risk of Covid-19 affecting students, staff and school communities.”
Most eligible New Zealanders were already vaccinated and feedback indicated this was also the case at schools.
“We also know communities and work colleagues have concerns if people around them are not vaccinated.”
The deadline for teachers to receive their first jab was midnight on November 15, with the second dose required by January 1.
Central Southland College principal Grant Dick, also the Southland Secondary Principals’ Association chairman, said most schools were facing the possibility of losing valued staff.
“In general, it’s an incredibly difficult situation to be losing teachers from the profession across the country,” he said in a written statement.
The profession remained buoyant but empathy was evident as people dealt with their own personal situations on the mandate, he said.
Otautau School principal and Southland Primary Principals Association chair Simon Bell said he would comment next week, “once we can get a gauge on how we have been affected across the region”.
I am being fired, unvaccinated teacher says
Primary school teacher Christine Livingston believes it is her right to decide what happens to her body, which is why she is not at school today.
The Tapanui woman is no longer able to teach because she has not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Mrs Livingston said she felt so strongly she should be able to choose whether she was vaccinated or not she was prepared to lose her job.
‘‘I’m about freedom of choice.
‘‘It’s my body. I am well and I don’t want a jab.’’
She had not given up teaching, she said.
‘‘I’m being fired.’’
That was devastating, she said.
‘‘My right as a teacher is being taken away.’’
Mounting pressure from others had made her consider getting vaccinated, she said.
‘‘I don’t believe for me that [getting vaccinated] will make the stress go away.’’
Some colleagues who did not want to be vaccinated had done so, which concerned her.
‘‘They’ve taken it for their love of the children and they don’t want to let down their community.’’
The way the issue was dividing the community and how people were treating each other was another concern.
‘‘This democracy we live in appears to be eroded.’’
She always wanted to be a teacher but after leaving school worked in a bank.
Many years later in her late 30s she trained as a teacher and had been teaching for the past 16 years.
It was not the salary that attracted her but
‘‘that ability to shape and form young people’s skills and learning’’.
‘‘[I] absolutely adore and love teaching.’’
After finishing a stint as Waikaka School acting principal earlier in the year, she had been relief teaching.
Yesterday, about 100 people attended a rally at Gore’s Eccles St playground to show their support for teachers.
Waikaka School teacher Lisa Miller was at the rally.
Mrs Miller said being vaccinated was the right choice for her.
‘‘I’m here today to support my colleagues’ right to choose.’’
The mandate had caused unnecessary division in the community and brought stress into people’s lives that could have more impact than Covid-19, she said.
Covid-19: Private Auckland school recruiting unvaccinated teachers for nationwide online classes
A private school is offering an online-only option for unvaccinated teachers as the deadline for the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for educators and school staff nears.
From Tuesday, all education staff who have contact with children must have had at least one dose in order to keep their job.
Mt Hobson Academy, an Auckland-based private school which caters to years 11-13, is seeking expressions of interest from teachers who “may look to work with us – vaccinated or not”.
Villa Education Trust’s Alwyn Poole said the mandate would result in some “very good teachers” no longer being able to work person-to-person in schools.
* Covid-19: Govt doesn’t know how many unvaccinated teachers will quit over mandate
* Covid-19: Fears school vaccine mandate could ‘split’ small community
* School teacher: ‘I won’t be getting Covid-19 jab’
* ‘Teachers quit’ after Covid-19 vaccine mandate as sector mulls options for unjabbed staff
“When child vaccines become available, some families will choose for their child to have them, others not. Some may prefer their children not to be in classes with children who are not vaccinated,” Poole said.
