The Teaching Council is urging the Government to close schools and early childhood centres; and both the Opposition and BusinessNZ are calling for wage subsidies to be extended to help more businesses as the pandemic crisis deepens.
1.A growing number of experts and sector groups want New Zealand to shut down schools and businesses to avoid community transmission of the coronavirus. New Zealand is currently at level 2 in the alert system and the cabinet is discussing whether to raise that.
2.Prominent epidemiologist and WHO adviser Sir David Skegg, says New Zealand may be just a week away from the big surgeon infection experienced overseas.
3.The Teaching Council is urging the Government to close schools and early childhood centres. The call comes in an open letter from the Council’s chief executive Lesley Hoskin to the Prime Minister.
4.Some parents are taking things into their own hands and beginning to pull their children from school over fears about Covid-19.
5.Both the Opposition and BusinessNZ are calling for wage subsidies to be extended to help more businesses as the pandemic crisis deepens.
6.Flight Centre has made 250 people redundant and closed 33 shops amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a statement, the travel agency said the unprecedented travel restrictions throughout the world has forced it to reduce its workforce.
7.The Reserve Bank is to buy back up to $30 billion of government bonds to give further support to the economy. On Friday, the central bank announced new measures, including term loans to banks, agreement with the US Federal Reserve for access to up to $US30 billion, and intervening in markets to maintain stability.
8.BusinessNZ estimates at least 10 percent of the county’s workforce will start working from home today because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This will include thousands of public servants. The government is encouraging anyone who can work remotely to do so.
9.Doctors say the signs are good and they can dramatically cut down on face to face patient consultations. GP’s nationwide have begun phoning patients to change their appointments where possible so they don’t have to go into medical centres.
10.The Dental Council is urging clinics to suspend all non-essential and elective dental services immediately. The Council says the oral health community must play a part in reducing the spread of Covid-19.
11.The Food & Grocery Council is reiterating that New Zealand will have enough supplies and people don’t have to panic. The organisation’s chief executive Katherine Rich, says sales have been up by between two and five times the norm.
12.6000 thousand tests have been done in New Zealand for Covid 19 since the first case entered the country from Iran on February 28th.Yesterday 1200 laboratory tests were carried out.The tests are being conducted by ESR and other providers, who also provide testing services for the Pacific.
