Pish Posh
“Here be Dragons” is a phrase used by cartographers to describe the wild, faraway, uncharted corners of a map.
With the announcement of vaccine apartheid, New Zealand has launched into these wilds. Here be Dragons.
Jacinda Ardern attempted to sugarcoat New Zealand’s shameful entry into vaccine apartheid with a praise selfy “We’ve come through the past two years of Covid in better shape than nearly anywhere in the world, with the lowest case and death rates in the OECD, a growing economy, and among the highest rates of vaccination in the world.“We’re now in the strongest position to move forward into the next phase.”
If thinning the health professionals ranks by 1436 and culling teachers ranks is the strongest position then Labour has nailed it. If increasing New Zealand’s national debt to forcibly imprison our largest city is readying for the next phase then the 1 pm self-adulation daily update was well earned.
Vaccine apartheid:
Those who have complied will be rewarded with freedom – but only while they continue to comply. If polled, kiwis may have preferred the Government invest in the health system and ensure that every New Zealander that needs it has access to an ICU bed during this Covid pandemic. But no, this freedom is a Vaccine Passport.
“Vaccinated New Zealanders using vaccine passes will be able to do many of the things that were previously treated as high risk like safely going to bars and restaurants, getting a haircut, and going to a concert or the gym. In Auckland, it means seeing friends and family indoors again.”
“The certainty and stability of the traffic lights replaces the sudden lockdowns and restrictions of Alert Levels. Our schools will stay open at every colour and businesses will have protection through My Vaccine Passes keep operating,”
Jacinda Ardern
Forgive us all for wondering why instead of offering treatment plans that have actually worked in other countries like Japan and India our Government has decided that the “new phase” is a consolidation of our health details, drivers licence number, birth certificates and other personal data into a digital vaccine passport. I’m not an epidemiologist but I don’t think a cleaning up of our personal data into an accessible state-owned filing system is going to help ward off Covid.
For those who choose democratic freedom over vaccine apartheid.
Whole regions that haven’t responded to the call to join the race to 90% vaccination are stuck in the naughty corner.
Northland, Taupo, Rotorua lakes districts, Whakatane, Kawerau, Opotiki, Gisborne, Wairoa, Rangitikei, Whanganui and Ruapehu Districts – Red for you.
Despite the Prime Minister’s previous promise that Auckland’s “Freedom Day” will be December 1 (oh how naive we are to think her word means anything) having been through a marathon lockdown, and having reached 89% vaccination rate Auckland is still in Red.
“There are 160,889 Kiwis due for a second dose – if everyone got it this week we would be at 89.3 per cent fully vaccinated. I encourage those people to get their second dose today to benefit from the full protection of the vaccine, and to be able to get their Vaccine Pass.”
How are we still buying this?
Instead of being an incentive to toe the line in return for temporary freedom let this be a warning that high vaccine rates are no longer good enough for our paper-thin freedom. Promises are no longer worth listening to. If at any point you decide to opt-out of the vaccine booster schedule you join the ranks of New Zealanders with fewer rights than the vaccinated.
Financially incentivised support for vaccine apartheid.
As with all corrupt offers, there is an attractive incentive package. The Resurgence Support Packages for those in the Red region’s rate will be doubled up to $43,000 per business per fortnight if they opt in to vaccine passes.
At a time when businesses are stretched beyond their financial limits opting into this sham carries the promise of finally making some money. Orange venues and businesses that opt in to vaccine passes can operate normally, with no capacity limits or seating requirements.
On the other side of the new apartheid venues that choose to not demand vaccine passes will face severe restrictions, with cafes and restaurants only able to allow pickup and delivery.
There are no real winners in this “new phase”. To opt into this carries a moral dilemma whether it is realised now or in weeks or months. Division is set to unfurl. Business owners are being asked to police their staff’s vaccination status and to turn away unvaccinated customers.
Standing up for your right to actual freedom rather than this new vaccine apartheid that Jacinda is trying to pass off as freedom will seriously cost those brave enough to stand up to it.
Control threats
In her typical passive-aggressive style the Prime Minister has issued a threat all New Zealanders should heed.
“in general the system will see an end to lockdowns, although the Government has retained the ability to put small areas with low vaccination rates into localised lockdowns if an outbreak occurs.”
Or if they just annoy her as in the case of Murupara with no Covid yet stuck in Red.
We are truly in uncharted territory. If we pair the Traffic Light System with the COVID-19 Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021 which was smashed through without any time for deliberation or reflection and legislates absolutely zero rights to unvaccinated New Zealanders it is the stuff of democratic nightmares.
Covid-19 Health Response (Vaccinations) Order will allow for:
1. The lockdown of unvaccinated or insufficiently vaccinated individuals or sufficiently vaccinated. (So when you tire of boosters your rights are gone)
2. The ability to restrict travel within the country to unvaccinated or insufficiently vaccinated.
3. Withhold certification from those who do not get required boosters or subsequent combinations of vaccines as may be ordered at that time.
4. The ability to dictate the type and form of certification required for proof of vaccination status – digital or otherwise.
This is meant to come into effect on 3 December.
Here be Dragons.