New Zealand's Ardern postpones election as coronavirus flares up

[snoop1130]

New Zealand's Ardern postpones election as coronavirus flares up

By Praveen Menon

 

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference held with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

 

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's prime minister postponed the country's general election on Monday by a month to Oct. 17 as the city of Auckland remains in lockdown due to a growing coronavirus outbreak.

 

Jacinda Ardern bowed to pressure to delay the polls after parties complained they could not campaign with nearly a third of New Zealand's 5 million people under lockdown in Auckland.

 

"Ultimately, the 17th of October ... provides sufficient time for parties to plan around the range of circumstances we will be campaigning under," Ardern said at a news conference.

 

The prime minister ruled out delaying the polls any further, as her Labour Party maintains a strong lead over the conservative National Party in opinion polls.

 

"We are all in the same boat. We are all campaigning in the same environment," Ardern said.

 

New Zealand on Monday recorded nine new cases of COVID-19, taking the number of active cases to 78. There have now been a total of 1,280 cases in the country, and 22 deaths.

 

An earlier election would have worked in Ardern's favour, as her success in stifling COVID-19 and keeping the country virus-free for 102 days until the latest outbreak had boosted her popularity.

 

The election was scheduled for Sept. 19 and New Zealand law requires it to be held by Nov. 21. Advance voting will now start on Oct. 3.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who had called for a delay, said "common sense has prevailed".

 

The leader of the populist New Zealand First party delivered government to Labour through a coalition deal after no party won a majority at the 2017 election.

 

The Election Commission said it was ready to hold a vote with health measures including hand sanitiser and physical distancing in voting centres, protective gear for staff and contact-tracing systems.

 

"These are challenging times for everyone, but we will have measures in place so that people can vote in person at a voting place this October,” Chief Electoral Officer Alicia Wright said.

 

BORDER FAILURE?

 

Ardern's opponents accuse her of using the pandemic to shore up support as she appears on television nearly every day to reassure New Zealanders, while other party leaders struggle to get attention.

 

Her rivals are hoping Ardern loses some of her appeal once economic hardships caused by the lockdown begin to bite.

 

New Zealand has fared far better than most countries during the pandemic but an abrupt resurgence of COVID-19 last week in Auckland prompted Ardern to extend a lockdown for the city's 1.7 million residents until Aug. 26, while social distancing rules are in place in other towns and cities.

 

The origin of the new outbreak is still unknown. Authorities said previously that it could have been through an Americold cold-storage facility where one of the infected individuals worked.

 

Tests of surfaces in the facility are under way to identify the genome sequence. Authorities are also investigating if there is any link to an Americold facility in the Australian city of Melbourne, where COVID-19 cases have surged in recent weeks.

 

Results are expected later this week.

 

Another possible source is the quarantine system for New Zealanders returning from overseas.

 

"Right now the focus must be on finding out exactly what failed so catastrophically at the border so we can be sure it won’t happen again," National Party leader Judith Collins said on Twitter.

 

New Zealanders celebrated when authorities eliminated community transmission of the coronavirus at the start of the pandemic with a hard lockdown that forced almost everyone to stay at home.

 

The government extended a wage subsidy scheme and mortgage deferral programme to support businesses and jobs affected by the lockdown.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-17

 

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[brewsterbudgen]

Can't she be President of the World?

[pedro01]

No doubt the first of many

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

New Zealanders celebrated when authorities eliminated community transmission of the coronavirus at the start of the pandemic with a hard lockdown that forced almost everyone to stay at home.

Only celebration I saw was from people sick of being imprisoned in their own homes being allowed out.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Right now the focus must be on finding out exactly what failed so catastrophically at the border so we can be sure it won’t happen again," National Party leader Judith Collins said on Twitter.

Changing the government would be a good start.

[Katipo]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Only celebration I saw was from people sick of being imprisoned in their own homes being allowed out.

The majority, while not enjoying being stuck at home, understood why it was necessary. While it's not perfect, I think you'll find the election result will reflecs the popularity of the current Jacinda led Labour government.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Changing the government would be a good start.

Doesn't look likely atm.

[Roadman]

5 hours ago, Katipo said:

The majority, while not enjoying being stuck at home, understood why it was necessary. While it's not perfect, I think you'll find the election result will reflecs the popularity of the current Jacinda led Labour government.

Its not the Labour government which is still the same clueless pig it was under the leadership of Little but the Saint Jacinda love fest from the bull <deleted> fed sheeple that will see her re elected. Mind you with her latest screw up over the lack of border control/testing which she lied (yet again) about there is some heat starting to come on her not only from the public but finally some of the media. And is is showing in the last few days. The extra four weeks for the election extension is not going to go well for her on the back of yet another new Covid case today that is not related to the other cluster outbreak. 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Roadman

[3NUMBAS]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/new-coronavirus-strain-10-times-22538116

 

New coronavirus strain is 10 times more infectious 'but may be a good thing'

Paul Tambyah, president elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases in the US, said the D614G mutation is becoming more common in Europe but coincides with a drop in death rates

A mutated strain of coronavirus spreading through Europe is said to be 10 times more infectious others but appears less deadly.

Paul Tambyah, president elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases in the US, said the D614G mutation is becoming more common in Europe and has recently been detected in Malaysia and Singapore.

Dr Tambyah, who is also a senior consultant at the National University of Singapore, said there is evidence that the new strain coincides with a drop in death rates which suggests it is less lethal.

He said most viruses tend to become less severe as they mutate.

"Maybe that's a good thing to have a virus that is more infectious but less deadly," he said.