Hesi Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 Protocol, the way things are done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 Plus I think you will find that once this is all over, that David Clark will resign and not seek re-election Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 15 hours ago, Hesi said: There will be a selective and regional reduction to level 3, to keep people spending, which in turn keeps people in jobs and vice versa. That is probably the most important thing, get people spending More and more people will be allowed to conduct their business online, such as the many shops that have had to close because they did not sell essential goods. No carte blanche opening of malls and shops though. Anything that might mean close personal contact, will still be a no no. Necessity is the mother of invention, people will adapt and find a way, let's hope NZ racing is in that boat That is probably the most important thing, get people spending Spending is only part of the solution ..we have to PRODUCE as well and get people moving with confidence as soon as practicable. As an aside, we have had such a sunny dry summer that we forget that any time now the weather gods can become vicious - we have been fortunate that the lockdown is taking place during mostly benign weather (so far!) - no cyclones or regional flooding, no massive power cuts to complicate the 'stay at home' mantra. Imagine the consequences if there's a Civil Defence emergency in this country before lockdown ends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 11 minutes ago, Hesi said: Plus I think you will find that once this is all over, that David Clark will resign and not seek re-election because he knows his electorate will have him on toast for his shameful behaviour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 14 minutes ago, Maximus said: That is probably the most important thing, get people spending Spending is only part of the solution ..we have to PRODUCE as well and get people moving with confidence as soon as practicable. As an aside, we have had such a sunny dry summer that we forget that any time now the weather gods can become vicious - we have been fortunate that the lockdown is taking place during mostly benign weather (so far!) - no cyclones or regional flooding, no massive power cuts to complicate the 'stay at home' mantra. Imagine the consequences if there's a Civil Defence emergency in this country before lockdown ends Yes that is a very good point, we have had such a long run of fine and still weather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Victorian Premier happy to see racing continue Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has no problem with racing continuing. Photo: The Australian. Article Author Racenet11:54AM07 April 2020 0 Comments Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has explained why racing has been allowed to continue while many other industries have shut down in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Most other professional sports, including the AFL, NRL, NBA and Major League Baseball, have shut down while the coronavirus outbreak engulfs the world but racing has been allowed to press on. Racing jurisdictions, bar Tasmania, have introduced many measures to ensure the sport continues with many going above and beyond those ordered by chief health officers around the country. Andrews said Racing Victoria’s strict measures are a major part of why racing is still going. "Racing is without crowds, racing has put in place a whole range of social distancing measures just like the construction industry for instance," Andrews said in a press conference on Tuesday. "Where you can manage a risk, we think it's appropriate. And it's got to be proportionate, what would be the public health benefit versus the cost in terms of jobs?” Andrews said he was not a big racing fan but said he was happy to see racing continuing to bring some enjoyment to fans. "I'm not a big racegoer myself but many people derive a lot of enjoyment from that. And there's not a lot of that (enjoyment) going around at the moment,” Andrews said. "I've had it put to me that some people are getting quite a lot out of the fact that racing is going ahead in a limited form." Andrews said racing continuing had nothing to do with the fact the sport produced hundreds of millions of dollars in betting taxes for the government, pointing to the fact pokie venues and the Crown Casinohave been shut down. However, he said a worsening of the COVID-19 crisis could cause a review of current commercial arrangements in all sectors. “It's about protecting jobs,” Andrews said. "And there is a lot of people working in that industry. And, again, it's making that difficult choice, the balance between what would be the public health benefit? Can you manage the risk? "Clearly with an example like say building, the massive construction sector. We believe we can manage those risks. The moment I get advice that we can't then of course we will take further steps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, Hesi said: Yes that is a very good point, we have had such a long run of fine and still weather Now imagine if that little cyclone at Vanuatu/Fiji had decided to head south east and made landfall in Godzone .. I am not being 'all doom and gloom' here , just reminding us that seriously nasty 'forces of nature' would compound our woes. Be grateful for the opportunities to get outside and exercise, enjoy our beautiful country, esp while there are so few vehicles on the roads. Edited April 7, 2020 by Maximus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 4 hours ago, Hesi said: Victorian Premier happy to see racing continue Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has no problem with racing continuing. Photo: The Australian. Article Author Racenet11:54AM07 April 2020 0 Comments Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has explained why racing has been allowed to continue while many other industries have shut down in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Most other professional sports, including the AFL, NRL, NBA and Major League Baseball, have shut down while the coronavirus outbreak engulfs the world but racing has been allowed to press on. Racing jurisdictions, bar Tasmania, have introduced many measures to ensure the sport continues with many going above and beyond those ordered by chief health officers around the country. Andrews said Racing Victoria’s strict measures are a major part of why racing is still going. "Racing is without crowds, racing has put in place a whole range of social distancing measures just like the construction industry for instance," Andrews said in a press conference on Tuesday. "Where you can manage a risk, we think it's appropriate. And it's got to be proportionate, what would be the public health benefit versus the cost in terms of jobs?” Andrews said he was not a big racing fan but said he was happy to see racing continuing to bring some enjoyment to fans. "I'm not a big racegoer myself but many people derive a lot of enjoyment from that. And there's not a lot of that (enjoyment) going around at the moment,” Andrews said. "I've had it put to me that some people are getting quite a lot out of the fact that racing is going ahead in a limited form." Andrews said racing continuing had nothing to do with the fact the sport produced hundreds of millions of dollars in betting taxes for the government, pointing to the fact pokie venues and the Crown Casinohave been shut down. However, he said a worsening of the COVID-19 crisis could cause a review of current commercial arrangements in all sectors. “It's about protecting jobs,” Andrews said. "And there is a lot of people working in that industry. And, again, it's making that difficult choice, the balance between what would be the public health benefit? Can you manage the risk? "Clearly with an example like say building, the massive construction sector. We believe we can manage those risks. The moment I get advice that we can't then of course we will take further steps. The Victoria situation (to press on with racing under strict protocols,eg no crowds/social and physical distancing) vs NZ Govt's decision to do the opposite is interesting. Victoria has similar land area to NZ, population of 6m comparable to NZ's 5m+, and a higher GDP in Vic than NZ ... as of 31 March there were 900+ confirmed cases in Victoria cf NZ 1100 as of today ... so if you accept that these are reasonable comparisons in terms of scope/scale/people affected by Covid-19, you'd have to ask: should the NZ govt reconsider the case of allowing racing here to resume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 That's a good comparison Maxi Hopefully NZTR are lobbying the Govt along those very lines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 48 minutes ago, Maximus said: Now imagine if that little cyclone at Vanuatu/Fiji had decided to head south east and made landfall in Godzone .. I am not being 'all doom and gloom' here , just reminding us that seriously nasty 'forces of nature' would compound our woes. Be grateful for the opportunities to get outside and exercise, enjoy our beautiful country, esp while there are so few vehicles on the roads. This cyclone is tracking well away from NZ, but it is only a matter of time that some other disaster will strike and compound the issue. Earthquake, terrorist attack etc etc....have been known to happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LookingForValue Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LookingForValue Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardigras Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 On 4/7/2020 at 9:15 PM, Hesi said: That's a good comparison Maxi Hopefully NZTR are lobbying the Govt along those very lines I don't see much being gained by NZ Racing starting any time soon. We are already 2 weeks into lockdown. End of this week and early next week, they'll probably be in a good position to know what things look like post the initial 4 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 With the proviso of cautious optimism, but that graph is looking pretty good Shame about all those selfish people who don't know that a lockdown means a lockdown, and are taking off from Auckland to their holiday baches in the Coromandel and the North 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Very good article on Dr Ashley Bloomfield in the Herald https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12324032 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Also a bit in The Guardian 'Delivers the stats like no other': New Zealand's Covid-19 crush on health chief Dr Ashley Bloomfield has a devoted following of fans thanks to his unflappable demeanour and quick recall of coronavirus facts Eleanor Ainge Roy in Dunedin @EleanorAingeRoy Fri 10 Apr 2020 00.00 BSTLast modified on Fri 10 Apr 202000.32 BST Dr Ashley Bloomfield arriving for a Covid-19 update in Wellington with Civil Defence Director Sarah Stuart-Black Photograph: Getty Images An unassuming civil servant has become the unlikely hero of New Zealand’s coronavirus crisis, earning thousands of fans online and being nominated for the country’s highest honour. Dr Ashley Bloomfield is the director-general of health and the public face of the country’s battle against the disease, alongside prime minister Jacinda Ardern. Since March, Bloomfield has been fronting near-daily televised press conferences and has swiftly become a figure of fascination in a nation that has enjoyed early success in the global fight against coronavirus. Quietly spoken and always impeccably prepared, Bloomfield has impressed with his depth of knowledge and quick recall of statistics and unflappable demeanour. New Zealand writer Anna Connell jokingly changed her Twitter handle to The Ashley Bloomfield Fan Club after repeatedly admiring his cool during press conferences. Overnight, her followers began to grow, and she is now the unofficial leader of the nation’s Bloomfield devotees. “It’s unusual to have people unifying so positively around one person on Twitter, but it’s really hard to find anyone saying a bad word about him,” Connell said. “I think he just epitomises something quite wholesome; he’s not political, he’s got a neutrality about him. He is a very appealing kind of guy. He’s very calm, and he’s very measured – and he’s got really nice hair.” Dan Laufer, an expert in crisis communication at Victoria university, says Bloomfield’s public-sector background means he is able to command respect regardless of people’s political affiliations. “Bloomfield is widely respected because he is a medical doctor which gives him an enormous amount of credibility in the eyes of the public when communicating information related to Covid-19,” Laufer says. “His communication style is very effective. Direct, fact-based and consistent.” During the first week of lockdown when Bloomfield was given a Saturday away from work the country’s biggest news website ran a prominent story: “Ashley Bloomfield is Finally Having a Day Off” and Corin Dann, host of RNZ’s Morning Report added: “I think the whole country would say this is well-earned.” A petition for Bloomfield to be awarded New Zealander of the year is gaining traction, celebrating the “competent, calm, factual and reassuring man”. “Dr Ashley Bloomfield may just be doing his job, but I believe he is exceeding at it and what is expected of him in his role,” the petition reads. “His reassurance during NZ’s time of need is amazing. He communicates effectively but calmly and delivers numbers and stats like no other.” According to the ministry of health, Bloomfield qualified in medicine at the University of Auckland in 1990 and specialised in public health, choosing to focus on non-communicable disease prevention and control. In 2011 he spent a year at the World Health Organization in Geneva, learning many of the skills he is now deploying to manage the outbreak. Although the memes and fandom surrounding Bloomfield have a playful edge – and offer a fun distraction for many New Zealanders during a tense time – Connell believes Bloomfield is genuinely providing comfort. “I think he is a figurehead of ‘keep calm and carry on’,” she says. “I don’t think people knew what they were looking for at this time, but it turned out it was exactly him.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 Good old sheep dip, Ivermectin. The press has seized on this, but to add balance the NZ Health dept has issued the following Caution about Laboratory COVID-19 Report News article 08 April 2020 The Ministry of Health is aware of a media report describing a laboratory study that shows Ivermectin, a macrocyclic lactone medicine used to treat parasitic infections as being an effective treatment for COVID-19. The study being reported is based on lab tests being conducted in petri dishes and the results are achieved using a very high dose of the drug that has not been tested on people. There is no evidence that the compound has any efficacy against Covid-19 in humans. The Ministry of Health strongly recommends the public do not buy and treat themselves with Ivermectin for Covid-19. When ingested in high doses, Ivermectin can have a serious effect on humans, with symptoms including low blood pressure, worsening asthma, severe autoimmune disorders, seizures and liver damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 "The Government will give much-awaited detail this Thursday on how and which businesses will be allowed to reopen if and when the national lockdown is lifted on April 22." So where will racing and the TAB sit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 Reading Bernard's Blog, there seems to be an expectation that racing will be allowed to resume under strict protocols Bernard's Briefing - 10 April Bernard Saundry 10 April 2020 Next Thursday 16 April RITA will release the dates for the proposed return to racing for the remainder of this racing season. What this means for the thoroughbred code is that the month of July is our targeted return with the proposed racing schedule subject to funding. On Friday 17 April, the codes will each release the proposed dates for the first four months of the new season (for thoroughbred this means August-early November). This will be subject to the development of a full season draft calendar, which will be released in mid-May. This calendar is also subject to funding and we are awaiting feedback from RITA regarding the 2020/21 season, as well as the proposed July dates. Getting to this stage has involved a great deal of collaboration between the codes and RITA. In addition to working together to draft these new dates, there has also been significant effort put into developing the protocols which will allow us to return to training and racing. The industry had already put in place many of these prior to our final weekend of racing, where meetings were conducted behind closed doors. The group which has formalised the protocols has also taken on board some of those steps implemented in NSW and Victoria which have allowed racing to continue. With the Prime Minister signalling 20 April as the date when a call will be made on the next steps we take as a country, racing is well positioned with protocols developed to allow racing and training to take place under a lower alert level. Once the relevant government departments have signed off on the protocols they will be released to the wider industry for implementation. In addition to these the NZ Farriers’ Association has also released its protocols which are available here. The NZTBA has a good link with advice regarding the transport of horses during the alert level 4 which can be found here. As you will note common sense is a major requirement and two weeks into lockdown we should all be understanding the necessity behind staying at home and remaining in our bubble. As we have seen as we have watched racing continue across the Tasman, it is possible to keep the industry going if we all adhere to the expected guidelines. The expectation is that all our licence holders will make themselves familiar with the regulations as they pertain to them once they are released. In the meantime, please continue to stay safe in your bubble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 12 hours ago, Hesi said: Reading Bernard's Blog, there seems to be an expectation that racing will be allowed to resume under strict protocols Bernard's Briefing - 10 April Bernard Saundry 10 April 2020 Next Thursday 16 April RITA will release the dates for the proposed return to racing for the remainder of this racing season. What this means for the thoroughbred code is that the month of July is our targeted return with the proposed racing schedule subject to funding. On Friday 17 April, the codes will each release the proposed dates for the first four months of the new season (for thoroughbred this means August-early November). This will be subject to the development of a full season draft calendar, which will be released in mid-May. This calendar is also subject to funding and we are awaiting feedback from RITA regarding the 2020/21 season, as well as the proposed July dates. Getting to this stage has involved a great deal of collaboration between the codes and RITA. In addition to working together to draft these new dates, there has also been significant effort put into developing the protocols which will allow us to return to training and racing. The industry had already put in place many of these prior to our final weekend of racing, where meetings were conducted behind closed doors. The group which has formalised the protocols has also taken on board some of those steps implemented in NSW and Victoria which have allowed racing to continue. With the Prime Minister signalling 20 April as the date when a call will be made on the next steps we take as a country, racing is well positioned with protocols developed to allow racing and training to take place under a lower alert level. Once the relevant government departments have signed off on the protocols they will be released to the wider industry for implementation. In addition to these the NZ Farriers’ Association has also released its protocols which are available here. The NZTBA has a good link with advice regarding the transport of horses during the alert level 4 which can be found here. As you will note common sense is a major requirement and two weeks into lockdown we should all be understanding the necessity behind staying at home and remaining in our bubble. As we have seen as we have watched racing continue across the Tasman, it is possible to keep the industry going if we all adhere to the expected guidelines. The expectation is that all our licence holders will make themselves familiar with the regulations as they pertain to them once they are released. In the meantime, please continue to stay safe in your bubble. I note that twice in the above release, the ' subject to funding ' phrase qualifies a preceding statement. For me, that is the crux of the whole scenario...that, as well as the lifting of level-4. If funding is available, fine, let's crawl out of our holes and try and get some semblance of the show on the road. If not, no amount of grand planning is going to make an iota of difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 And I see the Herald up to its usual unhelpful garbage, seizing upon one part of the latest Treasury modelling, headlining unemployment could reach 26% if the lockdown is extended without regard for any balance as to what else is included in the modelling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngakonui grass Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 NZME owner of the Herald and the 1ZB stable of stations,to lay off 200 staff. 4 more deaths today,this ain't going away anytime soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 38 minutes ago, ngakonui grass said: NZME owner of the Herald and the 1ZB stable of stations,to lay off 200 staff. 4 more deaths today,this ain't going away anytime soon Going to be interesting what they come out with on Thursday in terms of relaxation of measures if they drop back from Level 4, bearing in mind the cost will be too great economically and financially to the country to keep at level 4 They can't relax the social distancing, and they must keep the 14 day quarantine in place for people arriving in NZ So that stuffs the hospitality, tourism and airline industries, unless they come up with some real lateral thinking. Perhaps they have to test every one in NZ for the virus, which would allow more mixing, and work out a way to manage those with the virus. Just a thought, I don't know even, if people who show no signs of the virus, but are carriers, still test positive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 They then just stamp a barcode on your forehead with your name and virus clearance, which gets scanned when you go to a restaurant or bar 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 The above was not a serious post 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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