Public Health Expert

Featured image: To ensure success of the trans-Tasman travel “green zone”, we need to reduce system failures at the NZ border

To ensure success of the trans-Tasman travel “green zone”, we need to reduce system failures at the NZ border

Public Health Expert • Mar 30, 2021

Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson While succeeding very well with its elimination strategy, NZ still does not have optimal border control. We find since July 2020 there have been 13 identified border failures and at least 6 internal MIQ facility failures. The forthcoming quarantine-free “green zone” between NZ and Australia … Read More

Featured image: Expansion of “green zones” may provide a chance for the global eradication of COVID-19

Expansion of “green zones” may provide a chance for the global eradication of COVID-19

Public Health Expert • Mar 18, 2021

Nick Wilson, Matt Boyd, Osman D Mansoor, Louise Delany, Michael G Baker With effective vaccines for COVID-19 comes the potential for disease eradication (elimination at the global level). Here we consider the advantages and the challenges, but ultimately suggest consideration of progressive expansion of “green zones” towards a target of COVID-19 eradication. Even if eradication is not achieved, establishing and … Read More

Featured image: How to best prioritise Covid-19 Vaccination in Aotearoa/New Zealand

How to best prioritise Covid-19 Vaccination in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Public Health Expert • Mar 02, 2021

Dr Ben Gray* New Zealand has begun to roll out its Covid-19 vaccination programme, starting with those working at the border, including in the Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facilities. There have been calls for prioritising other groups such as those in South Auckland [1] and meat industry workers [2]. The National Ethics Advisory Committee has released a final … Read More

Featured image: How best to classify and count NZ’s border control failures in the COVID-19 pandemic?

How best to classify and count NZ’s border control failures in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Public Health Expert • Feb 12, 2021

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Prof Michael Baker In taking a systems approach to pandemic control, it is helpful to define what is meant by a “border control failure” so that such events can be used to guide performance improvement. This blog proposes specific definitions for the current context in Aotearoa NZ. It concludes that since July 2020, NZ … Read More

Featured image: Staying Safe from COVID-19 over Summer and Beyond: The Need for More NZ Government Action

Staying Safe from COVID-19 over Summer and Beyond: The Need for More NZ Government Action

Public Health Expert • Dec 21, 2020

Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker Aotearoa/NZ has responded very successfully to the COVID-19 pandemic by achieving elimination and the lowest death rate in the OECD. But there are ongoing risks – which may even be increasing with larger numbers of infected returnees in border facilities. In this final blog of the year we detail the critical actions needed to … Read More

Featured image: Health and Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Response: NZ Compared to OECD Countries

Health and Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Response: NZ Compared to OECD Countries

Public Health Expert • Dec 04, 2020

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Nhung Nghiem, Prof Michael Baker (author details*) Aotearoa/NZ has achieved the lowest death rate in the OECD from the COVID-19 pandemic, equivalent to around 2000 lives saved compared to the OECD average. With regard to economic harm, NZ appears to be close to the OECD average, with the IMF predictions … Read More

Featured image: Bioethicists, Scientists and Politicians; Decision Making in a Pandemic

Bioethicists, Scientists and Politicians; Decision Making in a Pandemic

Public Health Expert • Dec 01, 2020

Dr Ben Gray* To date New Zealand has come through the pandemic well. The role of political leadership and scientific input has been well covered. Part of this success was built upon having a clear ethical framework for managing a pandemic that had been developed in advance following the SARS outbreak. This blog considers the interaction between the science the … Read More