The Indian Weekender, 24 June 2022

8
NEW ZEALAND
Friday, June 24, 2022
Not the time to move to the
Green setting, say experts
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
It was on the night of April
13, 2022 that New Zealand
moved to the orange setting
of the Covid-19 Protection
Framework after having been
in red since late January due to
the Omicron outbreak.
Since it has been more than
two months of being in the
orange light and many Covid-19
restrictions have been eased out
since then, including scrapping
the pre-departure test for
NZ. In addition, passengers
transiting through NZ now no
longer need to be vaccinated
nor be required to complete an
NZ Traveller Declaration.
So, now the big question
that many people are asking is
when will Aotearoa move to the
Green setting of the Covid-19
Protection Framework?
While during the orange
setting, there are no capacity
limits on gatherings, either
indoors or outdoors. Previous
requirements to display QR
codes and use vaccine passes
are also no longer in place. Face
masks must continue to be
worn in some indoor locations,
like on public transport and in
retail, but not in hospitality. But
Michael Baker
there are no such restrictions
when the green setting is in
place.
When Indian Weekender got
in touch with the Department of
the Prime Minister and Cabinet
(DPMC), a spokesperson said a
shift is unlikely before the end
of winter.
“The changes to traffic light
settings are always subject
to public health advice, but
people should not expect a
shift to Green to happen before
the end of winter,” said the
spokesperson, adding, “We
Michael Plank
know that there will be further
outbreaks of Omicron and, with
our borders open, we are likely
to see an increase in seasonal
flu and other viruses that
we have not experienced so
severely for the last two years.
The next review of the traffic
light settings will be in late
June.”
Even experts feel that New
Zealanders will have to wait a
while before the green settings
can be implemented.
Epidemiologist Michael Baker
"The changes to traffic light settings are
always subject to public health advice, but
people should not expect a shift to Green
to happen before the end of winter."
maintains that there is no basis
for relaxing Covid-19 controls
in NZ at present as Covid-19
case numbers, hospitalisations,
and deaths are high.
“There is huge pressure on
our health care system, and
even schools are struggling
to stay open in the current
situation. Consequently, now is
not the time to even consider
moving to the green level
in the Covid-19 protection
framework,” says Baker.
Professor Michael Plank of
Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa
agrees with Baker and says,
“Covid-19 is placing a significant
load on our healthcare system,
which is under extreme strain
with the combination of Covid
and other winter bugs at the
moment. A second wave will
likely occur in the next 1-2
months due to new variants
that are now spreading rapidly
in NZ.”
Both Baker and Plank
believe that moving to green
light, which means removing
protections such as masks at
this point, would risk making
the wave bigger and further
increasing the demand on the
healthcare system.
Baker says, “If anything, some
controls should probably be
increased. For example, schools
should require mask-wearing
to reduce the transmission of
Covid-19, influenza, and other
respiratory infections. One can
think of moving to green once
we have gotten through the
difficult winter period and the
threat of a second wave.”
VENU MENON IN WELLINGTON
Māori and Hindu beliefs and
practices have much in
common, a Hindu community
organisation has noted.
The Hindu Council of New Zealand,
which has branches in Auckland,
Wellington and in the South Island, and
is dedicated to ushering in a “dynamic,
vibrant Hindu society in Aotearoa,”
kickstarted a two-week “Yogathon” at
Te Kakona O Te Aroha Marae in Lower
Hutt , Wellington, on June 18 to mark
International Yoga Day.
“The marae in Lower Hutt gave us
the space for our opening ceremony,”
said Vijeshni Rattan, president of the
council’s Wellington branch.
“In the past, we have also held a
conference at the marae where we
talked about the similarities between
the two cultures.”
Rattan said living in NZ involved
understanding Māori culture in order to
“align with them.”
“The reason we wanted to stay on
the marae was because we wanted to
learn their Tikanga practice,” Rattan
explained. “We have to be careful of
showing disrespect or causing offence.
For example, if you are in NZ and you
accidentally go and sit on top of a table
and a Māori sees that, it is really offensive
to them. While sleeping, your legs should
not be pointing toward anybody’s head.
This is against the Tikanga practice.”
Rattan likened Tikanga to Hindu
practices, such as removing footwear
before entering a temple.
The marae is similar to a Hindu temple,
with “carved idols” representing different
Hindu council head reaches out to Maori
The Hindu Council team
deities or gods , Rattan observed.
She said many Māori families took
part in the yogathon, in which each
practitioner was challenged to perform
108 Surya namaskars ( sun salutation).
“The Māori worship the sun god just
like Hindus do,” Rattan claimed.
The Hindu council is mindful of the
need to show respect in matters of faith
and is sometimes compelled to take on
the role of a pressure group.
Rattan recalled an incident in 2019
when an organisation was “selling meat
while celebrating Diwali” at Chuton Park
in Wellington.
“The organisation was bombarded
with emails before finally agreeing to
celebrate Diwali with no meat,” Ratan
noted with satisfaction.
Celebrating Hindu festivals is a priority
on the council’s calendar of events.
Holika Dahan was celebrated on March
18 with Indian High Commissioner
Muktesh Pardeshi lighting a bonfire on
Esplanade beach in Petone. The event
was hosted by the council in partnership
with the High Commission.
Kites soared in the sky as Makar
Sankranti and Pongal were celebrated
by the council in partnership with the
Wellington Mutamizh Sangam on January
22 at Avalon Park, Lower Hutt , with
local dignitaries in attendance.
Rattan delivered a prayer in Sanskrit
at the St. Peter’s Church during a food
distribution event held in October last
year.
Every year, Hindu council members
tie rakhis on Raksha Bandhan Day on
the wrists of police and firefighters to
honour those who keep the community
safe.
Rattan sees the Hindu heritage
bequeathed by her Fijian forefathers as
something that must be passed on to
the next generation, to keep it alive in
Aotearoa New Zealand.
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