The National Party Health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse says the Government’s approach to the coronavirus has been patchy, poor and slow; and New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is not backing down from his comments about Pania Newton, one of the protest leaders at Ihumatao.
1.Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says Queenstown medical staff are following up on a suspected case of coronavirus. 15 Chinese cities are now in lock down because of the virus which has at least 80 people and infected almost 3000.
2.The National Party Health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse says the Government’s approach to the coronavirus has been patchy, poor and slow. Woodhouse says the bird flu outbreak in 2013 was treated more urgently.
3.There are about 20 New Zealanders in Wuhan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says its working closely with Chinese officials and diplomats as to how best to help them. But the Minister Winston Peters says, such evacuations are more complex than people realise and the Government has to work within the confines of China’s travel embargo for high risk areas.
4.Tourism officials say it’s too soon to tell how badly the outbreak will hurt the economy. China has suspended all overseas group tours and one South Island based company is expecting to lose 10,000 visitors a month until the travel ban is lifted.
5.New Zealand expatriates in Australia are being called on to take legal action to get federal laws nullified as discriminatory. David Faulkner of Sydney says it’s time for a class action to achieve fair laws.
6.New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is not backing down from his comments about Pania Newton, one of the protest leaders at Ihumatao. He last week called her a “young putiputi”- meaning a young flower.
7.A ceremony has taken place at the Auschwitz concentration camp to mark the 75th anniversary of its liberation. 1.1 million people were murdered there during Nazi-occupied Poland. About 200 survivors are attending the commemorations and some have spoken of the atrocities they experienced.
8.The US Supreme Court has allowed the President to implement a contentious new immigration policy. The top Court has backed the Government’s efforts to make it more difficult for immigrants who rely on public assistance to obtain legal status.
9.The US Military has confirmed one of its planes has crashed in eastern Afghanistan. The plane crashed in Ghazni province and area with a strong Taliban presence.
