Opinion

Are school holidays a potential covid issue?

One of the ways the New Zealand Government has attempted to delete or prevent the spread of covid-19 is by keeping us indoors in lockdown or secluded to our own region.

Most of us will know, the entire world knows that, the attempt to decrease covid numbers in New Zealand has been a pretty successful campaign, bar a few outbreaks here and there.

However, despite that success, having interviewed businesses from a couple of different industries, the last thing anyone wants, or needs right now is for us to go into another lockdown.

Therefore, with the school holidays looming, it made me wonder, after weeks of being isolated, whether families around NZ [except Auckland and Waikato] have big travel plans on the horizon? And whether it would be a good idea if that was the case.

Kids and families would be itching for a breath of fresh – out of their own town – air. Believe me, I need it too. We all need it.

But is it the right time, under level 2, even though case numbers are dropping, for a big holiday away and possibly walk into another outbreak?

The first thing you might say is, ‘John, there’s no covid outside Auckland, we’re fine’. Well that’s what Waikato was probably saying until their outbreak happened. Even though I believe it’s under control there, it was a hiccup that did spread quickly.

It only takes one person to rapidly spread the virus, and school kids and families could be in the line to get hit if they are out in droves in holiday hot spots.

The thing is, children have a limited understanding of social distancing, no matter how much we try to educate them on it. It’s very easy in the excitement of being away on holiday to forget these guidelines. Couple that with our Kiwi care free culture, it’s possibly the unfortunate setting for another outbreak.

The government allowing vaccines for children 12 years and older may help with the prevention of wide spreading. But what about the kids under 12 years old?

And who’s to say all parents would be allowing their kids to have the vaccine in the first place?

I want to see holidays return to the way we’re all used to experiencing them, including school holidays. But maybe, taking a long vacation away from home these school holidays is not the time to do that.

Peace of Mind John Lazo-Ron

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