ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

The Huddle: Did Govt waste time when announcing alert level changes?

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 18 Feb 2021, 7:29PM
Jacinda Ardern speaking to the media to announce alert level changes. (Photo / NZ Herald)
Jacinda Ardern speaking to the media to announce alert level changes. (Photo / NZ Herald)

The Huddle: Did Govt waste time when announcing alert level changes?

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 18 Feb 2021, 7:29PM

The Government has been criticised for their communications on Covid-19 alert levels.

Yesterday, Jacinda Ardern announced Auckland would move to Alert Level Two after three days spent at Level Three due to a number of cases in the community.

However, the announcement of the alert levels was made after a health update from Ashley Bloomfield. 

Auckland University medical professor Des Gorman told Mike Hosking drawing out the announcement just makes people anxious.

"If I'm seeing a patient and I'm going to give them bad news, I give it to them in the first 30 seconds and spend the rest of the time managing their response to it. I don't make them wait 15 minutes while I rabbit on about all sorts of things."

In other news, free period products will be made available for all schools and kura from June.

A pilot's been running in 15 Waikato schools and kura since term three last year - providing about three-thousand-200 young people products.

Now all schools and kura nationwide can opt in to the initiative.

The Government wants fewer young people to miss school because of their period, and to reduce financial hardship for families.

And in sports news, Prada Cup fans will have to wait until weekend for the resumption of racing.

Officials have confirmed Luna Rossa and INEOS Team UK will return to the water on Saturday at 4pm for two races.

Race courses B and C won't be used for racing, to mitigate the chance of large public gatherings on shore, which are in line with Government level two restrictions in Auckland.

It comes after Luna Rossa refused to delay the races until Auckland was at Level One.

Listen above as Simon Wilson and Tim Wilson discuss the day's news with Heather du Plessis-Allan on The Huddle

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you