Keeping New Zealanders safe

You will have no doubt heard about the coronavirus (or COVID-19) outbreak that was first reported from Wuhan, China, at the end of last year.

As I write this column, COVID-19 is very much a global issue that has spread to 133 countries, with 162,687 confirmed cases and 6,065 deaths. Our border measures are some of the strongest in the world and have assisted in limiting the number of cases here.

We were able to keep COVID-19 out until late February. This gave our public health experts and medical professionals time to prepare for its arrival. And even now, with eight confirmed cases in New Zealand as I write this, the risk of a sustained community outbreak here is expected to remain low.

Nevertheless, our

Government is taking COVID-19 seriously, and the health of New Zealanders is our number one priority. We must do everything we can to limit the spread of disease. In this regard, the best tools we have are pretty simple ones all of us can use –basic hygiene measures around washing hands, and self-isolation if you’re sick. Staying away from others if you have a cold or flu is always the best way to stop illness being spread, and the same is true with coronavirus. So if you’re sick, stay away from work and public events. We’re all in this together and can help stop the spread.

It’s important to remember that the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough; and most people (about 80 per cent) recover without needing special treatment. In fact, four of the five New Zealand cases to date have had only mild to moderate symptoms, and have been able to stay at home to get better –much like you would if you had a cold or flu.

The Government has been pulling out all the stops to limit the spread of coronavirus here in New Zealand. Health officials began meeting flights from China in January; we restricted travel from China in early February, and then from Iran a few weeks later; and in early March we began instructing travellers from South Korea and northern Italy to selfisolate.

So far more than 10,500 people have been required to go into self-isolation, most as a result of our strong border rules.

And our public health nurses have been active in tracking down anyone who’s been in contact with the eight cases we have here and making sure those people self-isolate too. We also flew stranded New Zealanders home from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, all the while taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of disease.

I am proud of the way our ministers and public health officials have worked side by side to keep New Zealanders safe.

If you’d like to learn more about the global health response to COVID-19, you can visit the ‘Coronavirus disease (COVID19) outbreak’ page on the World Health Organisation website. And you can learn more about New Zealand’s health response to the disease by visiting the ‘COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)’ page on the Ministry of Health website.

These resources provide helpful infor- mation about how to protect yourself and your family against COVID-19, and who to call if you or someone you know exhibits symptoms.

As I mentioned earlier, the COVID-19 situation is constantly changing. I know a lot of people will be worried about the risk of its spread in New Zealand. That’s why I wanted to check in with you now to share what I know.

Some reporting and commentary on the COVID-19 situation has been irresponsible. My advice to people here in West CoastTasman is to follow the regular updates from our health authorities. Their suggestions to be ‘alert, not alarmed’, and to ‘prepare, don’t panic’, are sensible. It’s this sort of levelheaded thinking that will get us through any tough times ahead.

If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453