Indian Newslink May 1, 2020 Digital Edition

02
MAY 1, 2020
Homelink
Gains made should be consolidated under Alert 3
Michael Wood
New Zealand has been at
Alert Level Three since
1159 pm on Monday, April
27, 2020.
New Zealand’s Covid-19 Alert
Levels outline the public health
and social measure to be taken,
depending on how a public health
assessment of the virus in New
Zealand.
The alert system can help
people see and plan for the kinds of
restrictions we need to adhere to in
each stage, such as closing schools
and limiting travel.
The Alert Levels
The four Alert Levels are: Level 1:
Prepare; Level 2: Reduce Contact 3:
Level 3: Restrict Level 4: Eliminate.
At midnight on Monday 27 April,
we moved into Level 3 after 33 days
of lockdown at Level 4.
At Level 3, the risk still remains
and our goal is to restrict contact
with one another as much as
possible.
Staying at home is still the most
effective way to break the chain of
transmission and save lives.
Moving to Level 3 has permitted
some aspects of the economy to
reopen in a safe way that will allow
the economic recovery to begin.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
has announced that our Government
will review the Alert Level
again after two weeks on May 11,
2020.
Combined effort
We must all remember that our
actions to go hard and early put us
in a good position.
What we are doing is working and
the numbers speak for themselves.
Our shared actions have saved
many lives.
Now is the time to lock in the
hard-won gains and not allow the
deadly virus to bounce back.
We need to keep on top of Covid-19
as we start rebooting economic
activity.
We can be very proud as New
Zealanders that we were able to
prevent the wave of devastation
seen elsewhere in the world and
that we took decisive action judged
to be the best for us as a country.
Because of this hard work from
all New Zealanders, we are in a good
position to eliminate the virus.
Our aim is to do it once and do it
right. We are continuing to ramp up
our testing capacity to help stay on
top of the virus and keep our nation
safe.
About Alert Level 3
Let us have a closer look at what
Level 3 will look like.
Many things will remain the same
while the key differences are that
you can expand your bubble a little.
Level 3 is a progression, not a rush
to normality.
Many things will remain the same.
Work and essential services – You
must continue to work from home
if you can. If you cannot, you can
return to your place of work only if
it can comply with the health and
safety expectations in the same way
that businesses operating at Level
4 did.
400,000 more New Zealanders are
expected to have returned to work
in key sectors such as construction,
manufacturing and forestry.
Businesses still closed
Food delivery, drive through,
online shopping and options such
as click and collect shopping are in
operation while bars, restaurants
and cafes along with malls and retail
stores will still remain closed.
Businesses that offer face to
face services such as hairdressers,
massage, house cleaning and door to
door salespeople are not allowed to
operate.
However, tradespeople that offer
in-home services who do repairs
and installations that can keep two
meters separation from the household,
can offer their services.
Education – a partial reopening
of education up to year ten will
occur, but initially this is just for the
children of essential workers. My
own children are staying at home
and enjoying the distance learning
resources supplied by their schools.
Gatherings - Funerals and
weddings will be able to go ahead
with limited attendance of up to
10 people. Services are permitted
to be held but no meals, food or
receptions are permitted.
Travel restrictions remain in
place. Only essential travel within
your region is permitted.
A general approach of keeping
two meters away from each other
still applies, be it in a workplace or
education facility.
I want to briefly cover how Level
3 apply to seniors who are over 70
and those who are at a higher risk.
Small extension of Bubble
Under Alert Level 3, seniors can
extend their “bubble” carefully by
letting in a close family member or
caregiver into their home. This can
only be someone from within the
same region, and it must be ‘exclusive’
meaning that the other person
cannot make further increases to
their bubble either. People can go
to a local beach or park for fresh air
and exercise using common sense
and maintaining distancing. You can
shop for essential services such as
going to the chemist or supermarket
and take children to school if you
are caregivers in the same bubble.
Generally speaking, the same
restrictions apply to Seniors as other
people, but we ask that you take
extra care.
I hope that you are all safe in your
bubbles. We have made so much
progress together to stamp out
Covid. We cannot be complacent;
now is the time to finish the job
so that we can transition back to a
more normal way of life again.
Michael Wood is elected Member
of Parliament from Mount Roskill
and Senior Government Whip.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National List MPbased
in
Manukau East
Contact
A
P
F
E
1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland
09 278 9302
09 278 2143
bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz
facebook.com/bakshiks
@bakshiks
bakshi.co.nz
Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP, 1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe.