Tagged: COVID-19

Featured image: 100 days without COVID-19: how New Zealand got rid of a virus that keeps spreading across the world

100 days without COVID-19: how New Zealand got rid of a virus that keeps spreading across the world - COVID-19

Guest Author • Aug 07, 2020 •

Michael Baker, University of Otago; Amanda Kvalsvig, University of Otago, and Nick Wilson, University of Otago On Sunday, New Zealand will mark 100 days without community transmission of COVID-19. From the first known case imported into New Zealand on February 26 to the last case of community transmission detected on May 1, elimination took 65 days. New Zealand relied on … Read More

Featured image: Should a COVID-19 vaccine be compulsory — and what would this mean for anti-vaxxers?

Should a COVID-19 vaccine be compulsory — and what would this mean for anti-vaxxers? - COVID-19

Guest Author • Aug 07, 2020 •

Claire Breen, University of Waikato With COVID-19 vaccine developers reporting promising results, it is probable we will one day face a major public health question: can the government compel New Zealanders to be vaccinated? Just as inevitably, some people will refuse a vaccine. As we have seen overseas with debates over the wearing of masks, and more generally with … Read More

Featured image: Victoria’s lockdown ‘an endless game of Covid-19 whack-a-mole’

Victoria’s lockdown ‘an endless game of Covid-19 whack-a-mole’ - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 04, 2020 •

Siouxsie Wiles The restrictions in place for metropolitan Melbourne now are in some ways stricter than those that were in force during New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown. A curfew is in place and most people have to wear masks when they leave their home – neither of which happened in New Zealand. But the state of Victoria has lost valuable … Read More

Featured image: Four possible scenarios for the Australian and South Korean travellers

Four possible scenarios for the Australian and South Korean travellers - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 01, 2020 •

Over the last few days, reports have emerged of people travelling from New Zealand and testing positive for Covid-19 upon arrival at their destination. First in South Korea and now in Australia. What might these positive tests mean? They’re false-positives As Toby Morris and I have explained before, there are different ways to test someone for Covid-19. The main ways … Read More

Featured image: Safe arrivals

Safe arrivals - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Jul 29, 2020 •

If entry into New Zealand from abroad is safe, it should be allowed.  People arriving from places that are Covid-free, or no more risky than New Zealand, and who get here on flights that do not intersect with risky places, should return to normal travel arrangements. Currently, the Cook Islands, the rest of New Zealand’s Pacific Island realm, and Taiwan … Read More

Featured image: I’ve been talking to conspiracy theorists for 20 years – here are my six rules of engagement

I’ve been talking to conspiracy theorists for 20 years – here are my six rules of engagement - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jul 24, 2020 •

Jovan Byford, The Open University With prospects of a COVID-19 vaccine looking up, attention is also turning to the problem of anti-vax ideas. According to a recent survey, one in six Britons would refuse a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Although vaccine hesitancy is a complex problem with multiple causes, the number of conspiracy theories circulating … Read More

Featured image: Coronavirus lockdown reduced seismic activity around the world – new study

Coronavirus lockdown reduced seismic activity around the world – new study - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jul 24, 2020 •

Paula Koelemeijer, Royal Holloway and Stephen Hicks, Imperial College London Seismic activity doesn’t just come from earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides. Everyday human activity also gives rise to vibrations that travel through the ground as seismic waves, something we call “anthropogenic noise”. When pandemic lockdown measures brought daily life to a standstill, it didn’t just change life at the surface and … Read More

Featured image: There is no legal right to free quarantine — but there is a fair way to set the price

There is no legal right to free quarantine — but there is a fair way to set the price - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jul 22, 2020 •

Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato Welcome home – now here’s your invoice. The debate over whether New Zealand should charge arriving Kiwis for quarantine has divided opinion, but one thing is clear: citizens and permanent residents have the right to return home. However, like many other liberties, this right can be subject to reasonable limits, especially during times of global … Read More