‘Oku taupotu ‘i lalo ha fakamatala fakaTonga
Sir Ashley Bloomfield said the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic appeared to be over – three years on today from Aotearoa’s first lockdown.
But he said lockdowns “may have a place” still in the future.
More than 2,250,000 people have been infected with the virus here, despite New Zealand stopping most community transmission in 2020 and 2021.
The former director-general of health – who is now a population health professor at the University of Auckland – told RNZ on reflection: “It’s clear, we’re past the worst of the pandemic, it feels like we’re out the other side, and that’s the sense I have both in Aotearoa New Zealand, but also internationally.”
He said it had been “a pretty bumpy journey” but recent travel overseas had shown him: “Everyone’s sort of life’s getting almost back to completely normal. So that’s a good thing.”
Sir Ashley said he was greatly satisfied that three years on from the first lockdown, Aotearoa still had negative excess mortality.
This metric predicts the number of expected deaths every year in a country, and compares it to current totals.
“What we found in Aotearoa – in 2020, 2021 – we had less deaths than you would have predicted based on the previous years. And whilst once the Omicron variant came along, yes, we did see Covid-related deaths, the numbers have climbed. Still, if you look over those three years, cumulatively, we’re still not back at the level, the number, you would have expected.
“That is unique, virtually unique around the world,” he said.
“Lockdowns were an important tool in the overall response and not one we had anticipated using, but one now that we do have experience with and know that if we are in a similar situation in the future, with that same degree of uncertainty, while we understand the virus better – and while a vaccine has been developed – it is a tool that we can deploy,” Sir Ashley said.
“It’s hard to know what the likelihood of future lockdown is … lockdowns may have a place.
“It is dependent on the nature of the virus and of course, the speed with which we act.”
The former director-general also said he was proud of the collective efforts New Zealanders had made as well as compliance.
“Some people say ‘oh Kiwis are just kind of more compliant and more likely to do what the government asks them than other countries’. Well, actually, I don’t think so. That’s not my experience in everyday life.
“But I think what was effective about our first lockdown, especially, but even subsequently, of course [is], you cannot police a lockdown – it requires the vast majority of people to understand and own and act on the request.”
He has had uplifting feedback from overseas health leaders – but does not take credit for how New Zealanders worked collectively upon request.
“Dr Mike Ryan, he’s from Ireland originally, he’s been involved in health emergency response for many years … And he said, ‘Look, I’m not just saying it because you’re here [at the World Health Assembly] Ashley, but we in WHO do think of New Zealand’s response as one of the best in the world and really setting an example for other countries.”
Sir Ashley has also welcomed the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Aotearoa’s pandemic response.
“I am also really pleased that we are having a Royal Commission because that gives us a chance to really have a look and see – not a ‘Spanish Inquisition’ about every single decision – but actually what do we need to do to be even better prepared for the next time.”
The Royal Commission of Inquiry is expected to be completed in June 2024.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kuo fakaha āe Sir Ashley Bloomfield ko e kovi taha āo e Koviti kuo ngali mavahe ia taāu āeni āe tolu mei he loka āa āAotealoa.
Ka ne ne pehÄ āe kei lava pe ke kei āi he kahaāu pe āa e vailasi ni.
Ko e toko 2,250,000 āa e kakai kuo pihia āi he vailasi heni neongo hono taāofi āe Nuāu Sila āa āene mafola āi he kominitiiā āi he 2020 ki he 2021.
Naāe fakahÄ āe he talÄkita ki muāa ko eni āa e Potungaue Moāui ki he RNZ kuo mahino ia kuo tau paasi mei he kovi taha āo e Kovitiā.
Naāa ne pehe ko e fononga ne āikai haohaoa ka āi he ngaahi folau ki mui ki mui ni mai ne ha kiate ia āi heāene vakai ngali kuo foki a e moāui āa e kakai āo nomolo.
Naāa ne pehe āoku kei fakafiemali pe āa e tuāunga āo e lahi āo e kau mate āi āAotealo.
āOku vavaloāi āe he Koviti ko eni ko e lahi āo e kau mate āi he taāu taki taha pea fakahoa ia ki he tokolahi lolotongaā.
Ko e meāa kuo tau āilo āi Aotealoa i he 2020 , 2021 ne siāi ange āa e mate āi he meāa ne tau fakakaukau ki ai āi he ngaahi taāu ki muāaā. Pea ne hu mai āa e āOmikoloni io mahino pe ne kaka āa e mate ka āi he fakahoa ki he ngaahi taāu ki muāa āoku āikai toe foki ia ki he fika ko iaā.
Pea āoku makehe ia pea mei makehe āi ha toe fonua āi mamani.
Oku mahuāinga āa e lokaāi āi hono talia āa e faingataāa pea ne āikai ke tau anga ha meāa pehe ka kuo tau taukei āeni āi hono ngaueaki ka toe hoko mai ha meāa pehe āi he kahaāu.
Oku faingataāa ke āilo pe āe he fefe ha toe lokaāi āi he kahaāu.
Ka āe fakafalala pe āi he natula āo e vailasiā.
Naāe polepole āa e Talekita ki muāa ni āi he ngaue fakataha āa Nuāu Sila mo talangofuaā.