NZ Covid-19 update: Nine new cases Came is hurry for New Zealand

5 min readDec 5, 2020

There have been nine new cases of Covid-19 reported in managed isolation in New Zealand today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.

All have been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.

The ministry said that the varied origins of these cases was another clear reminder of the critical importance of the

mandatory isolation and testing programme, with high numbers of New Zealanders returning home before the holiday period.

“The Ministry of Health again wants to thank all staff at the managed isolation and quarantine facilities for their efforts in keeping New Zealand safe.”

The total number of active cases is now 59 and the total number of confirmed cases has reached 1722.

The ministry said 6047 tests were processed in New Zealand’s laboratories.

It also said that laboratories had completed processing of the Pakistan cricket team’s day nine swabs and all 43 results were negative.

A sitting day at Parliament normally starts at 2pm with a prayer, then an hour of questions to ministers before MPs start debating legislation and last week was the first regular week of work for the new Parliament.

There are rules around how quickly a bill can be progressed mostly so there’s time for MPs to familiarise themselves with its content at each stage.

But the government has some items it wants to check off before Christmas so it moved for the House to sit under urgency — this can shorten the process of passing a bill from months/years to days/hours.

Why: The bill lets drug checking stations set up at festivals or events legally. These services were at risk of prosecution for handling illegal substances and venues were at risk of being prosecuted for allowing their space to be used for illegal purposes.

The bill will expire after one year. Little said the plan is to have this bill in place ahead of the summer festival season and then work on a replacement bill next year.

How did they vote: Labour, Green, ACT, and Te Paati Māori voted in favour. National voted against.

Who said what: Little said the bill aligns with the government’s approach to treating drug use as a health issue rather than a criminal issue.

“It means that those who wish to partake of those substances but who have doubts about the safety of it can get them tested and that those who are carrying out the testing are not, therefore, liable to criminal prosecution,” he said.

The National Party opposed the bill with Simon Bridges saying it would likely encourage drug use.

“This sort of law change at haste will be regretted by New Zealand at its leisure over the long term. I note, as its first law, this is the message the government’s sending,” he said.

“It’s giving a false confidence, a message that it’s OK, on illicit, hard drugs. Like I say, it’s the wrong message to our young. Drug use will go up. More harm will, tragically, be done along the way to young New Zealanders.

What next: The bill passed through all its stages and is awaiting Royal Assent (the final step before it becomes law). It will expire one year after this happens.

NZ Covid-19 update: Nine new cases Came is hurry for New Zealand

Written by Unoounoo