Times Media Covid-19 Lockdown Flipbook 7-4-20

Unite against COVID-19

www.times.co.nz updating you on the latest Covid-19 local developments TAKING YOU TO NEW

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AWARD-WINNING VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY – NZCNA Tuesday, April 7, 2020

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IN THIS ISSUE

LATEST NEWS

Essential Services WHO YOU GONNA CALL? We still need tradies etc during lockdown. Who do we call?

WHAT’S G IN HAPPEN OUT THERE?

Lockdown in pictures ...

Howick residents Alex and Jiwon Clark took part in the Raise A Glass event to celebrate the front line workers in our community. Page 6.

YOUR VIEWS Times readers share their thoughts on this pandemic.

BOREDOM BEATERS Spotlight on Easter Eggs – decorate them, play with them, eat them!

Need legal assistance during lockdown?

ASCO Legal is a Howick based law firm. We have adopted the latest cloud-based systems and technologies, meaning during this lockdown, our local team is able to remotely operate with little interruption to existing clients and we welcome new clients.

Wishing everyone the very best through this difficult time.

Phone: 09 308 8070 Email: info@ascolegal.co.nz

www.ascolegal.co.nz JH15957

We can still offer face-to-face meetings by video-conference and digital signing of documents.

If you need any legal assistance with your business, negotiating rent holidays or advice on employment obligations, or if we can assist you personally to update your will or with a mortgage refinance for example, please feel free to get in touch with us.

CONVEYANCING | REFINANCES | WILLS & ENDURING POWERS OF ATTORNEY | TRUSTS COMPANY & COMMERCIAL | ESTATE ADMINISTRATION | SEPARATIONS & ESTATE PLANNING

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WINDOW STAYS

JU1549

We are open for WOF, service (all brands) and parts if you need your motorcycle for work or to get to essential services.

Botany Honda Ph: 09 274 2727 or 021 944 351 www.botanyhonda.co.nz

New Zealand’s Leading Locksmith and Alarm Specialists

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The Times continues to deliver you news updates via it’s website www.times.co.nz and our Times Online Facebook page, subscriber newsletters (sign up via www.times.co.nz) and this Flipbook.

Times Media Ph: 09 271 8000 Email: selina@times.co.nz – general editor@times.co.nz – news www.times.co.nz

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RUBBISH REMOVAL Household, Garden, Pest Control, Arborist, Waste & General Rubbish Rapid Property Group Ltd Ph: 0800 789 248

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PLUMBERS

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Drain Repairs Surface water problems All drainage requirements

Pipers Drainage Ph Rick: 027 256 2533 Registered Drainlayers. Free quotes and advice.

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COVID-19 CASES FLATTEN OUT With media reports of many people heading to the Coromandel over the weekend, non-residents driving to get liquor in West Auckland and various tales of people boating, swimming, surfing and biking when they shouldn’t, the police and Ministry of Health have released additional guidelines on Alert Level 4 rules.

At the time this publication came out, New Zealand’s Covid-19 infection rate appeared to leveling out although the Ministry of Health has indicated it’s still early days yet.

With just one death – a woman on the West Coast – there were 67 new and probable cases reported on Monday for a new total of 1106. The previous days had seen overnight rates of 89, 82, 71, 76 and so on.

The Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said yesterday we can be encouraged by the lack of dramatic increases in case numbers.

There appears still to be some confusion as to what Kiwis can and cannot do during lockdown.

The infection clusters are major point of interest. There are 12 significant clusters with the main ones being Marist College (72), the Bluff wedding (62) and Matamata (58).

• A child can leave the residence of one joint care-giver to visit or stay at the residence of another joint care-giver (and visit or stay at that residence) if there is a shared bubble arrangement.

Meanwhile, there has been much made on social media and on the news about people flouting lockdown rules, not least Health Minister David Clark, who drove his van with a picture of his face on the side of it to a mountain bike park for a ride.

• A person can leave their residence to visit or stay at another residence (and visit or stay at that residence) under a shared bubble arrangement if:

So in case you still had questions about what our lockdown rules are, Dr Bloomfield has issued a Health Notice that provides additional guidance on the rules around Covid-19 Alert Level 4 “to ensure its success and help move the country out of lockdown as soon as possible”.

THE NOTICE SETS OUT: • Everyone in New Zealand is to be isolated or quarantined at their current place of residence except as permitted for essential personal movement.

• Exercise is to be done in an outdoor place that can be readily accessed from home and two-metre physical distancing must be maintained.

• Recreation and exercise does not involve swimming, water-based activities (for example, surfing or boating), hunting, tramping, or other activities of a kind that expose participants to danger or may require search and rescue services.

* One person lives alone in one, or both, of those residences; or

Photo NZ Herald

* Everyone in one of those residences is a vulnerable person.

“Most New Zealanders are doing the right thing. In the first week of being at Alert Level 4 we have seen high rates of compliance,” Bloomfield said.

“The best way to ensure the success of the lockdown is for everyone to play their part. That means staying at home, maintaining physical distancing when outdoors and washing your hands.”

PAST TIMES AN EYE-OPENER Prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, former Pakuranga local and one time teacher at Sancta Maria College, Mandy Gundersen (now teaching at AGC Strathallan) returned to her old stamping ground with younger son Nathan on an educational school visit to Howick Historical Society.

She told Times, the visit was a huge success. “Students loved the experience of lessons, colonial-style, in the old school house but dressing for the part was also part of yesteryear fun. However, I’m not so sure our contemporary Franklin youngsters – or teacher/mums – would be too keen to wear 1850s garb every day.”

Puzzle Page Cryptic Puzzle ACROSS

Sudoku

NO. 001

7. What the golfer sings when walking up the fairway? (5,3,4).

8. Attack that, alas, is routed (6).

9. At least four supports (6).

10. What the sea-mouse has to keep clear of? (7).

12. Spot about four the golfer should have put back (5).

15. Having spare time, rested (5).

16. A nut not right in the head: crazy and obsessed (7).

18. Get on outside, a bit shaken (6).

20. Scoff at the backward boy and I get embarrassed (6).

22. Does it make one no end gauche? (4,2,6).

1

2

3

4

6

5

NO. 7951 7

DOWN

1. A bad period in private life (3,5).

2. She’ll have some liver and bacon (4).

3. The hairdresser takes the pen to the table (7).

4. Book the lady’s got about plants (5).

5. The girl has a brainwave about the German (8).

6. Are profligate with money.

It’s sad (4).

11. Is it to counteract the hot music? (3-5).

13. Too much of a good thing, perhaps! (8).

14. Yielded good results, but got discharged (4,3).

17. Pry about, and so on, oddly quietly (5).

19. Name from the programme (4).

21. Something to wear in the arena (4).

9

8

10

11

12

13

14 15

16 17

18

19

20

21

22

Quick Puzzle ACROSS

7.

8.

9.

10.

12.

15.

16.

18.

20.

22.

Ugly (12) Animal (6) Man’s name (6) Follow (7) Mould (5) Coin (5) Break (7) Tranquil (6) Missive (6) Fearful (12)

NO. 7951

DOWN

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

11.

13.

14.

17.

19.

21.

Unsafe (8) Move (4) Relative (7) Burn (5) Rebound (8) Only (4) Scorn (8) Keep (8) Refuge (7) Cut (5) Cheese (4) Fang (4)

EAST AUCKLAND APP AL L TH AT ’S NE AR , IS HE RE !

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Feedback Page COVID-19: FEAR PUTS US IN AS MUCH RISK

HOW CAN PENSIONERS GET THEIR SHOPPING?

Fear puts us at risk just as much as the coronavirus. Being constantly fearful creates prolonged exposure to stress hormones which weakens our immune systems and make us more vulnerable to the very thing we are stressed about.

A more proactive approach is to nourish our bodies with hydration, healthy food, exercise, sleep and fresh air to support our immune systems; be extra vigilant with hygiene to protect ourselves and others; and be aware of the situation without being constantly focused on it 24/7.

We need to give ourselves time to de-stress instead of constantly being in distress. The coronavirus will not last forever; nothing does.

We can choose to pull together as a community, make sure everyone’s needs are met (especially our more vulnerable community members) and remember we are all in this together.

Our strength lies in responding with compassion, rather than reacting with fear.

Re the latest SuperSeniors Newsletter March Covid-19 Special Edition.

(Specifically: “If you can, get someone to drop your groceries off to you, or order your groceries online and have them delivered to your door.”)

A great informative newsletter but words don’t tell all the facts.

It’s not working that well as two people who are health compromised, the supermarkets are not preforming as they guaranteed, they can’t take orders for delivery in the Howick area so have to rely on other people who have enough workloads already.

The government has given the two supermarket chains a near 95 per cent duopoly on the guarantee they could handle the situation, but they’re not.

More shops like the vege, butchers, Bin Inns etc. need to be allowed to open under proper guidelines so as to help ease the problem.

How are you going to fix this problem?

These emails to us pensioners don’t help if the government doesn’t do as they promise.

So far a great and very difficult job has been done, but words alone won’t fix the problems outlined above.

J Adolph, Howick

WHY WEREN’T WE TESTING AT THE AIRPORT SOONER? Covid-19 has flattened many countries of the World and practically wiped out many Economies.

How did Covid-19 suddenly make an entry is anyone’s speculation and we will not know the true facts of its birth.

Many theories have been put forth and, logically, every one is not impossible but let’s not argue over it.

Initially we were only too glad that it happened in China and no-one in their right mind thought that the victims would be from all major countries in a span of three months.

Coming to our New Zealand shores we took things quite lightly even when we knew Australia, too, was in its grip and we fiddled whilst it was raging everywhere.

We were about four weeks too late to put the measures in place. I was alarmed that those who had returned from Australia on or after March 1 were not checked by authorities at the airport and allowed to go their way.

Will someone please explain this?

Zarir Mistry

Ronnie Hoogenberg, Howick

THE POINT OF TESTING I heard Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, criticise increased testing, “that many people were asymptomatic”.

Not True! Even if someone is asymptomatic they can have Covid-19.

In fact, they may be immune – which is important information because that means they could go back to work. We NEED to know such things.

Relying on current testing protocols is foolish. People referred for testing are people who have traveled or have symptoms and are therefore a biased sample. People arriving at testing stations are generally not those most at risk e.g.

70-year-olds who are not supposed to be out driving – more biased sampling.

(What about) people who don’t have cars, the homeless, people ill by other causes, families responsibly self-isolating and so on? We cannot rely on current testing procedures.

Randomised sampling will reveal

the true extent of the virus within the population in an unbiased manner. This will help us make decisions e.g. if the general penetration of Covid-19, in the population, is over 10 per cent then we may as well all go back to work in an ordered manner, so the health system is taxed but not overloaded i.e. get through this as quickly as possible.

We can ‘strategically isolate’ at-risk groups. We can track the viral progress, virulence and population resistance in an evidentiary manner and apply that data to the models.

But we haven’t, rather we have closed down a whole country based on ‘models’ based on unknowns and without a clearly defined “end-point”.

Dr Mike Schmidt (postgraduate degree in Microbiology) Pakuranga

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS QUICK PUZZLE NO. 7951 – SOLUTIONS Across – 7, Unattractive. 8, Ferret. 9, Lionel. 10, Succeed. 12, Shape. 15, Penny. 16, Shatter. 18, Serene. 20, Letter. 22, Apprehensive.

Down – 1, Insecure. 2, Stir. 3, Brother. 4, Scald. 5, Ricochet. 6, Mere. 11, Contempt. 13, Preserve 14, Shelter. 17, Sever. 19, Edam. 21, Tusk.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE NO. 7951 – SOLUTIONS Across – 7, After the ball. 8, Assail (anag.). 9, Braces. 10, Cat-fish. 12, D-IV-ot. 15, Lean-t. 16, Ha-unt-ed. 18, O-btai-n. 20, Der-I-dE (rev.). 22, Lack of finish.

Down – 1, Off stage. 2, (li)Ver-a(nd). 3, Sty-list.

4, Her-b-s. 5, B-Ava-rian. 6, Blue. 11, Fan-dance.

13, Overdose. 14, Paid off. 17, Snoo-p. 19, Bill.

21, Ring.

LOCKDOWN IN PICTURES Pictures really tell the story. Veteran Times photographer WAYNE MARTIN has been out recording images and video of our slice of Auckland and just what it looks like during this historic Covid-19 shutdown.

Many images look like something out of a Hollywood movie while others show many of us are relishing the opportunity to get out for some exercise on our own or with our bubble family members and pets.

Some have taken to the water (paddle boards, boats or just for a swim) attracting some criticism (certainly online in comments) about breaching lockdown rules. Best advice – stay home, stay safe.

Just another day at Bucklands Beach, people swimming, paddle boarding, sunbathing and boating on Day 9 of Covid-19 lockdown.

If you do venture out, stay local and follow the rules. Remember 2 metres at the supermarket and keep washing your hands!

Picton St, Howick, quiet on the first day of Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand.

Ang, Matt and Sky the family dog, took part in the Raise A Glass event. Initiated by Magic FM’s Ryan Bridge, every Friday at 5.10pm he wants us all to come to front of our properties and raise a glass and make some noise to celebrate all the unsung heroes, the front line workers in our community helping us successfully navigate our way through Covid-19.

Personal protective equipment is appearing in in all forms, from surgical masks and goggles to this Spiderman mask. Day seven of Covid-19 Lockdown.

McDonalds restaurant Botany, rarely ever shut, quiet on the first day of Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand.

TAHINI CHOC CHIP COOKIES Chocolate on your mind? Plenty of Kiwis have stocked up on flour in anticipation of going on a baking spree while in lockdown.

So, here’s a yum recipe from Melissa Hemsley’s cookbook, Eat Green. The vegan version is just as delicious as the standard version – you decide which you love most.

Makes 16 cookies, takes 25 mins Store these cakey cookies in an airtight container for 5 days. You could warm them briefly in the oven to give them a little crispening boost.

The dough freezes well so double up and save half for a rainy day. Just defrost, then slice into portions before putting in the oven.

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • •

2 eggs 2 tsp baking powder 4 tbsp maple syrup 2 tsp vanilla extract 150g light tahini 110g smooth nut butter 100g good-quality dark chocolate, broken up into squares, or chips • 30g black and/or white sesame seeds • A pinch of sea salt

METHOD Preheat the oven to fan 170°C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with reusable baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs then mix in the baking powder, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add the tahini and nut butter and mix together until very well combined.

Roughly chop the chocolate (if not using chips) and fold through the batter along

Flexi Swap For vegans, replace the 2 eggs with 1 large mashed ripe banana. You can also swap the nut butter for the same amount of a seed butter or tahini for a nut-free alternative.

with the sesame seeds.

each one) until the cookies are just set.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a little sea salt and allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Measure out 16 balls of the cookie batter, roughly 1 tablespoon each, and bake for 10–15 minutes on the lined baking tray (making sure to leave a little room between

n Extracted from Eat Green by Melissa Hemsley, published by Random House UK, RRP $50.00. Copyright © Melissa Hemsley 2020. Photography © Philippa Langley 2020

BUBBLE Boredom Beaters SPOTLIGHT ON EASTER EGGS What would Easter be without eggs especially during a lockdown? No much fun on Easter Sunday morning but with supermarkets open during this time, purchasing a few eggs is entirely possible. However, little hands could be kept busy making their own Easter eggs or, come the big day, explore other ways to have an egg-citing time.

DECORATE THEM

PLAY WITH THEM If you have kids, a classic Easter egg hunt in the backyard or throughout the house is a must. For a fun twist, make it a scavenger hunt complete with clues leading to one big prize. If you’re looking for games that people of all ages can enjoy, try having an egg and spoon race or see who can push an egg the furthest along the ground using just the chin or nose. If willing to risk breaking some uncooked eggs have a tossing contest between pairs. Start by standing quite close to each other and gradually extend the distance between a toss from one person to the other. The last to not drop an egg is the winner. If you want to do something a little less physical, you could create a trivia game about eggs and other Easter traditions.

Hard boil a few eggs then create your own outer shell designs with paint and a fine paintbrush -put them in a basket and add them into the mix for a picnic lunch outside. Alternatively, wrap elastic bands around your eggs and dip them in dye to create a graphic look. If you really want to impress, wrap each uncooked egg in a portion of a brightly patterned silk, tie and boil it for 20 minutes to transfer the pattern to the shell.

EAT THEM Finally, don’t forget to eat them. Boiled, fried and whipped into an omelette are some classic ways to prepare eggs.

Make a quiche or frittata for a refined Easter brunch or what about pavlova for dessert. Also, if you or someone in your family has a sweet tooth, you can still stock up on commercial Easter eggs and rabbits plus egg-shaped chocolates and candies for the occasion. Happy Easter!

PM’s Easter Egg Hunt The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has pulled a rabbit out of the hat with her understanding of children prompting her to declare the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny as ‘essential services’. In fact, the country’s leader – and mum – went a step further in posting an Easter colouring contest – this gorgeous egg which just begs to be decorated. The PM told children on her Facebook page, “You can draw your own Easter egg, or you can colour in the one that some of my clever friends helped to make.

“All you have to do is colour it in or decorate it, and pop it in your window for other kids to find. I’d also love to see your designs. If you email them to primeminister@parliament.govt.nz, or share them on social media using the hashtag #NZEggHunt, I’ll pop a few of them here and on Facebook over the Easter weekend.”

So, from the team at Times, happy colouring, kids!

April/May 2020

eastlife.co.nz

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Dynamic Women

COMPLIMENTARY

Food for thought

DR IVI NG BU SIN ES S

Toni Mosley HE R AR T WI LL GO ON

Lockdown

issue!

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