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Heather du Plessis-Allan: How can you take Northland iwi's requests seriously?

Author
Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date
Thu, 2 Dec 2021, 8:24PM
Cable Bay, Northland. (Photo / Northern Advocate)
Cable Bay, Northland. (Photo / Northern Advocate)

Heather du Plessis-Allan: How can you take Northland iwi's requests seriously?

Author
Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date
Thu, 2 Dec 2021, 8:24PM

This business of trying to guilt Aucklanders and other visitors into staying away from Northland or other low vaccinated regions this summer is absolute nonsense.  

Yesterday, we heard that the iwi chairs up north and the Northland DHB chief executives wrote to the PM and Health Minister Andrew Little pleading with the government to back track on plans to let un-jabbed but tested visitors up north and saying they have "grave concerns" about the spread of covid in their regions. 

What I find remarkable is that commentators and various other hand-wringers are taking this seriously instead of just shooting it down for the nonsense it is. 

Of course, you can and should go on holiday wherever you want this summer. 

Everyone has had long enough to get jabbed. This Covid outbreak has been in New Zealand for three and a half months.  

You cannot seriously tell me people still don’t know that they need the jab if they want to avoid serious illness.  

Now these guys up north are objecting particularly to the un-jabbed going on holiday. 

Frankly, the un-jabbed could well be safer than the jabbed because they have to get a test to confirm they don’t have Covid. 

We know even jabbed people can carry it and spread it 

But we need to get real. Covid is not the only problem these regions face. You overlay a map of low jabbed regions in New Zealand with a map of low employment areas in New Zealand and you’ll find they often match. 

So, if you choose to stay away from these places you are denying locals the chance to save their struggling businesses.   

They’ve already done last summer without international tourists. Now you’re asking them to do this summer without even domestic tourists to protect people who don’t want the jab.   

Come on. That’s not fair. 

It’s not even reasonable. 

Heads up. If someone by know still isn't’ jabbed, that’s their choice. Treat them like adults and stop trying to protect them. 

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