The Indian Weekender, 12 March 2021

4 NEW ZEALAND
Push for all adults in
South Auckland to get
Covid-19 vaccine first
Friday, March 12, 2021
The Indian Weekender
RADIO NEW ZEALAND
The government has turned down calls to
vaccinate all adults in South Auckland
before the rest of the country.
However, South Aucklanders over 65 and
those with underlying health conditions will
be given access to the vaccine earlier, but those
who are younger and healthier will have to wait
in line.
Given that the August and February outbreaks
happened in Manukau, some doctors and health
specialists say a bump up the line for everyone
living in the area is the smart thing to do.
The government knows South Auckland -
broadly the Counties Manukau District Health
Board area - holds a greater risk than average of
a Covid-19 outbreak.
Otago University public health professor Dr
Nick Wilson said the government’s vaccine
schedule generally made a lot of sense, but he
believed early access could be expanded.
“Not just the over-65s and those with
underlying health conditions, but in fact all
of the adults in South Auckland. That’s such
a critical population in terms of protecting the
whole nation, because of their proximity to
Auckland International Airport and because
there’s a large number of MIQ facilities [there].
“The real-world experience [of outbreaks]
would support that particular population being
a priority area.”
Pasifika Medical Association chief executive
Debbie Sorensen agrees with Wilson.
Counties Manukau has a Pasifika population
three times the rate of the rest of the country.
Sorensen doesn’t buy Covid-19 Response
Minister Chris Hipkins’ reasoning not
Man charged with threatening to kill after
arrest over threat to Christchurch mosques
RADIO NEW ZEALAND
Police arrested two people in
Christchurch and charged one
of them after an online threat
to Linwood Islamic Centre and Al
Noor Mosque.
The arrests come less than
two weeks out from the second
anniversary of the terror attacks at
the mosques in which 51 people
were killed.
In a briefing after 8.30pm on
Thursday, March 4, Canterbury
District Commander Superintendent
John Price said the threats were made
on 4Chan. The post was tipped off to
police through their Crimestoppers
line a couple of days ago.
He said he understood the threat
had been taken down now.
Price said one of those arrested
had already been released and a
27-year-old man has been charged
with threatening to kill.
“[The threat] was credible enough
that we took action straight away.”
As a result of the threat made
and the context, both mosques were
searched “pretty shortly afterwards”.
What was found during the search
cannot be released at this stage,
to blanket immunise South Auckland.
“Even though there is an assumption that
South Auckland residents are included in
border workers and health workers and other
categories, it is still an assumption that we’ll
get to everyone who needs to be vaccinated.”
Auckland Council Manukau ward councillor
Efeso Collins broadly agreed with the vaccine
sequencing but wanted all of Auckland
prioritised due to the risk of outbreaks.
“If we take a very practical, rational approach
we’ll all know the logic is clear: the outbreaks
have happened here in South Auckland. It’s
important South Aucklanders are prioritised,
and further to that I think Auckland should be
prioritised because the last three have been in
the Auckland region.”
However, Auckland University public health
professor Dr Colin Tukuitonga is not convinced
of a strategy to vaccinate all adults in Counties
Manukau before older or sick people in
neighbouring areas.
He said the government had got the
balance right and was actually needing to
remain selective.
“They’ve limited that to those groups largely
because I think we still have a limited supply
of the vaccine, so it’s a sensible, pragmatic
approach,” Tukuitonga said.
But another concern is vaccine hesitancy or
outright refusal.
Sorensen said the Ministry of Health was
being slow to tackle the looming problem.
“I think there’s an assumption that because
the vaccine is available suddenly everyone’s
going to step forward and get vaccinated. And
I do not believe yet that we are responding to
the growing anti-vaccination and conspiracy
"
There can be no
tolerance for direct
threats to people or
buildings, whether
these are made online
or offline. We ask the
public to be vigilant
in reporting any such
threats to authorities.
police said.
The 27-year-old man is due to
appear in Christchurch District Court
on 5 March.
Police said they were not in a
position to details on the nature of the
threat as it was before the courts now.
Any threat made on people and
the community was not tolerated,
Price said.
“We take all threats of this nature
seriously and we are working closely
with our Muslim community.
“Any messages of hate or people
wanting to cause harm in our
community will not be tolerated - it’s
not the Kiwi way.”
This behaviour needed to be called
out, he said.
“I think we should all have eyes
open and looking out for each other.”
I
think there’s an assumption
that because the vaccine
is available suddenly
everyone’s going to step
forward and get vaccinated.
And I do not believe yet that
we are responding to the
growing anti-vaccination and
conspiracy theorists in the
country
theorists in the country,” Sorensen said.
The government hopes to have half the adult
population vaccinated by July 2021 when the
remaining two million - broadly young and
healthy people - are likely to start.
Family doctors back government
vaccine roll-out
College of General Practitioners medical
director Bryan Betty told Morning Report he
thought the government had got the roll-out
right. When it came to South Auckland, he
said there was always going to be two sides to
the argument.
“Obviously it’s a place where we’ve seen
a lot of the outbreaks start to occur or those
breaches of border, however if you look at your
death rates internationally, it’s your over 65s
that tend to die from Covid.
“So I think targeting those in South Auckland
The Muslim community was
spoken to “pretty soon” after police
were made aware of the threat,
he said.
The Armed Offenders Squad had
also assisted as a precautionary
measure. Intensive investigation
and inquiries were undertaken by a
team fulltime following the threat
and further charges were being
considered.
“It is a criminal investigation,
a threat has been made, and we
have acted and responded with the
appropriate charge,” Price said.
All New Zealand police will be on
alert during the Christchurch mosque
attack memorial, with heightened
visibility of police at the mosques
already planned, he said.
“It’s very concerning for me but
also for New Zealanders as a whole,”
Price said.
He said New Zealand was at a
medium threat level.
He hopes the Muslim community
have trust and confidence in police to
respond to threats like this.
In a statement after the arrests,
Muslim Association of Canterbury
spokesperson Abdigani Ali said they
appreciated police acting promptly
and those over 65 and those with co-morbidities
is absolutely the right way to go because that’s
where you see severe disease and that’s actually
see death.”
Vaccine hesitancy would be an area that
the government had to work very hard on,
Betty said.
“The vaccine is safe. That message, I think,
is going to have to be very clear and very
consistent to counter this hesitancy issue that is
out there...
“One of the things I would say about
vaccination in this particular situation - it is a
choice for you as an individual but it is a wider
societal benefit from having the vaccine and
this is this herd immunity issue...
“So there’s the issue that the vaccine is
not just for myself, it’s for the whole - the
greater good.”
With the difficulties around delivering and
administering the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, GPs
were keen to see that strategic planning and
support was in place for the roll-out, Betty said.
GPs around the country already had patients
asking when they would be getting the vaccine,
he said.
“That is why it is so important the government
is crystal clear about when the vaccine will
arrive at certain destinations around New
Zealand and how it will be delivered, because
those conversations are now going on.”
He was not aware of any ability for GPs to
put people forward as a priority for the vaccine.
on the threat and in consultation with
the association and Muslim leaders
in the community.
“There is no place for hate rhetoric
and hate crimes in our country and
every community no matter their
race or beliefs should feel a sense of
safety and belonging.”
In another statement, Islamic
Women’s Council of New Zealand
(IWCNZ) said the threats were
“especially cruel” as we approach the
second anniversary of the 15 March
attacks.
“It shows the need for a strong
national security system, with clear
leadership and direction working
with communities.”
The IWCNZ thanked police for
taking quick action and the member
of the public who alerted police to
the threat.
“There can be no tolerance for
direct threats to people or buildings,
whether these are made online or
offline. We ask the public to be
vigilant in reporting any such threats
to authorities.
“We pray that the Muslim
community in New Zealand stays
safe. We know this will be a difficult
time for them.”