The Covid-19 testing centre in Ōtara (Photo: RNZ/Dom Thomas)

MoneyMay 23, 2020

Covid-19 live updates, May 23: No new cases; NZ company to start working on vaccine

Staff writers

The Covid-19 testing centre in Ōtara (Photo: RNZ/Dom Thomas)

For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.

The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The Spinoff Members here.

5.30pm: The day in sum

No new cases of Covid-19 were reported today. The total number of confirmed and probable cases stands at 1,504 of which 1,455 (97%) have recovered.

The NZ COVID Tracer app has now recorded 324,000 registrations – 31,000 more than at the same time yesterday.

New Zealand has joined the vaccine race as a group of wealthy investors have contributed half a million dollars in funding for a new local company called Covid-19 Vaccine Corporation Ltd (CVC).

National’s new leader Todd Muller pledged to take the small business minister portfolio if he becomes prime minister. He also clarified that he was opposed to euthanasia and cannabis but not same-sex marriage.

There are calls for the resignation of Dominic Cummings, a key adviser to British prime minister Boris Johnson, after he was caught breaking lockdown rules while displaying Covid-19 symptoms last month.

3.00pm: On The Spinoff today

Speed is of the essence when breaking any chains of transmission, and that’s where contact tracing apps come in. Siouxsie Wiles and Toby Morris explain.

Simon Bridges’ qualities as a leader seemed irrelevant to National voters, until suddenly they weren’t. Danyl McLaughlan on the change at the top of the opposition.

If you find yourself haunted years later by the loss of a broken friendship, it’s worth trying to fix, Karyn Henger writes after reconnecting with her old BFF during lockdown.

From Ronnie Van Hout’s take on The Breakfast Club to James Oram carving a rendition of his own face out of soap, Christchurch Art Gallery’s show of new video art in response to Covid-19 isolation is worth championing, writes Mark Amery.

Rugby Unwrapped, The Spinoff’s series with Scotty Stevenson and various rugby insiders discussing the state of the game, is now available in podcast form.

2.30pm: Today’s data, charted

It’s a ditto day, as former weatherman Augie Auer would say, with no change in the numbers of confirmed, probable, active or recovered cases, and no further deaths. Here’s how that looks in graph form:

2.15pm: Shipley backing Muller to be PM this year

Former National Party leader Dame Jenny Shipley thinks Todd Muller will be prime minister by the end of September. Appearing on Newshub Nation this morning, the one-time prime minister praised the way Jacinda Ardern had responded to the Covid-19 crisis, but predicted the mood of the nation will have shifted by the time of the election. “I was very popular [as prime minister]”, Shipley said, “but I lost an election because people had moved on and were looking for different things.”

1.05pm: No new cases

There are no new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, the Ministry of Health has announced.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand is still 1,504, of which 1,154 are confirmed and the rest probable.

The number of recovered cases remains at 1,455, or 97%.

There have been no further deaths related to Covid-19. One person remains in Middlemore hospital in Auckland, but does not require intensive care.

Yesterday laboratories completed 5,604 tests, which brings the total number of tests completed to date to 255,850.

The NZ COVID Tracer app has now recorded 324,000 registrations, 31,000 more than at the same time yesterday, the Ministry of Health release said. “We continue to encourage as many people as possible to download the app – it will help us identify, trace, test and isolate any cases of COVID-19. The faster we can do these steps the less likely it is the virus can spread in our communities.”

The Ministry of Health encouraged people to read Siouxsie Wiles and Toby Morris’ explainer on the importance of prompt contact tracing published on The Spinoff today.

12.00pm Today’s case number update

Today’s update on New Zealand’s Covid-19 case numbers is expected to arrive in the form of a written media briefing some time around 1pm today. Yesterday saw the country’s first recorded case in five days, a household contact of an earlier case linked to the St Margaret’s cluster in Auckland.

11.00am: New Zealand company joins vaccine race

A group of wealthy New Zealand investors – including former NZ Breakers owners Paul and Liz Blackwell – have contributed half a million dollars in funding for a local company to start work developing a vaccine for Covid-19. Covid-19 Vaccine Corporation Ltd (CVC) was registered during level four, BusinessDesk reports, and will use bio-bead technology developed by Polybatics, a company started at Massey University in 2009.

CVC co-founder Dr Robert Feldman said the company’s top priority would be supplying the New Zealand market. There have been concerns that if and when a vaccine does come available, New Zealand will be well down the global list to receive it. The company’s investment group will provide more funding in due course, with the estimated cost of bringing a vaccine to market estimated at around $8 million.

Read the full story on BusinessDesk

10.20am: How close did we come to disaster?

Just how narrowly the country avoided disaster in the early days of Covid-19 has been highlighted by Herald investigative reporter Matt Nippert in his second epic long read in as many weekends. Today’s story, again based largely on the thousands of pages of government documents released earlier this month, reveals that at the start of lockdown New Zealand only had enough test kits to last six days. “The just-in-time deliveries of scarce swabs made while airfreight markets were collapsing are nothing short of miraculous,” Nippert tweeted.

If you feel as though last week I didn't give you enough dramatic Covid tension in 3500-word doses, I've doubled the dose and published Part 2 of my Pandemic Papers series today. https://t.co/Mr2FMDX0bU

— Matt Nippert (@MattNippert) May 22, 2020

10.00am: Muller vows to take small business portfolio as PM

Todd Muller says he will take the small business minister portfolio if he becomes prime minister in September. Speaking to Simon Shepherd on Newshub Nation this morning, the new National Party leader said New Zealand was facing “the greatest economic challenge of a generation” and that his party was best-placed to lead the economic recovery from Covid-19 over the next three years.

Quizzed by Shepherd on his anti-abortion stance, Muller said that was “a privately held view” in line with his Catholic values. He highlighted the fact that his deputy, Nikki Kaye, who he described as “an absolute icon in terms of liberal thought”, had voted in favour of abortion legislation. Muller said he was opposed to euthanasia and cannabis, but was “totally relaxed” when it came to same-sex marriage. “I never said I was a perfect Catholic,” he said.

Asked about the Make America Great Again cap that has been noticed on display in his office, Muller said he also had a Hillary Clinton badge from the 2016 US presidential election, “but nobody ever looks at that”. Asked to choose between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, he said he had seen both speak during the 2016 campaign, and had been more impressed by Biden.

National’s leader Todd Muller, next to an office shelf filled with American political paraphernalia (Photo: Alex Braae)

On the topic of working with NZ First, Muller said: “Our caucus position is clear, if it changes I’ll get back to you.”

Muller said he had a quiet night last night, celebrating his ascension to National Party leader with “a reheated meal of chicken and coleslaw” at home with his wife Michelle.

8.00am: New Zealand begins getting to know new National Party leader

Until he successfully rolled Simon Bridges to become the new National Party leader yesterday, many New Zealanders won’t have known a thing about Todd Muller. That has all changed now. If you were offline yesterday, have a read of The Spinoff’s quick introduction to the man who wants to be prime minister by the end of September.

One thing this introduction doesn’t include is Muller’s stance on the controversial issue of spaghetti on pizza, but this was covered in a rapid fire round of questions during an interview on RNZ’s Checkpoint last night. Muller said that unlike his predecessor Bill English, he doesn’t believe spaghetti belongs on pizza. The opposition leader also revealed that his favourite native bird is the Tūī, he doesn’t think cannabis should be legalised and that his nickname is “Toddles, Toddie, Toddster … anything with ‘Todd’ on the front and something on the end.”

There will be more Muller in the media this morning, with an interview on Three’s Newshub Nation.

7.45am: Boris Johnson’s adviser broke lockdown while showing coronavirus symptoms

A senior adviser to the British prime minister was spoken to by police during lockdown after being spotted in Durham, over 250 miles from his London home, the Guardian reports. Dominic Cummings was at the time self-isolating with symptoms of Covid-19 after his boss, Boris Johnson, had tested positive with a case that required him to be hospitalised and receive intensive care. “It’s one rule for Dominic Cummings and one rule for the rest of us,” a disappointed neighbour told the paper. There are now calls for Cummings to resign, as did other government officials who were found to have broken lockdown or social distancing rules.

7.30am: Yesterday’s key stories

There was one new case of Covid-19, a household contact of an earlier case. It was the first new case in five days.

Todd Muller toppled Simon Bridges as leader of the National Party. His deputy will be Nikki Kaye. He pledged a break with the negative tactics often employed by his predecessor, saying he would be happy to work constructively with the government on areas of agreement.

Almost 50,000 applications for the small business cash flow loan scheme have been received, finance minister Grant Robertson reported, and $824.5 million has been paid out so far.

Auckland Council said it would be cutting jobs as it prepares for a shortfall of more than $500 million dollars in revenue over the next financial year.

Read more in yesterday’s live updates

Keep going!

A Wilson Parking sign. (Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel)

OPINIONMoneyMay 22, 2020

Public transport is safe. So why is Wilson Parking warning commuters against it?

Thomas Nash

Guest writer

A Wilson Parking sign. (Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel)

A new ad campaign that claims “crowded public transport” is a danger to your bubble is stoking unfounded fears, argues Wellington regional councillor Thomas Nash.

Update, 23 May: Wilson Parking New Zealand has issued a statement in response to this column which is published in full below.

You might think it would be a brazen display of pandemic profiteering and climate sabotage for a car parking company to run ads urging people not to take public transport right now. Well, that’s what Wilson Parking has been doing with radio spots on Newstalk ZB over the past few days discouraging Wellingtonians from taking the bus or the train.

The opening line of the radio ad warns people to: “Keep your bubble safe, skip crowded public transport.”

To my mind, the car parking company is stoking fears about using public transport and undermining people’s confidence in the system. This is at a time when the regional transport agency, Metlink, has spent weeks diligently applying all of the measures recommended by the Ministry of Health to make buses and trains safe.

It’s simply not true that public transport is crowded right now. Trains and buses have been running smoothly, with physical distancing on board and stringent cleaning measures. Metlink is monitoring capacity and redeploying vehicles in response to any potential pinch points on the network.

Perhaps it’s just an error of judgment, but arguably the ads amount to using misinformation during a pandemic to undermine an essential public service in the pursuit of private gain.

Wellington already has a congestion and pollution problem from private cars at peak times. It’s grossly irresponsible to be encouraging people to drive more rather than take public transport. In fact this messaging flies in the face of the city’s entire forward-looking strategy.

The stated objective of Wellington’s multi-billion dollar, generation-defining transport and urban development project – Let’s Get Wellington Moving – is to move more people with fewer vehicles. The attack ads by Wilson Parking directly work against that objective, which was endorsed by a strong majority of Wellingtonians after extensive consultation.

We all got a taste of what a more liveable city might be like during the level four lockdown. People jumped on their bikes and delighted at the safe, clean and quiet streets. It was actually pretty remarkable to see people react to open streets that were people-centred for the first time in generations. The NZ Herald even published an editorial imagining a shared future for our streets, with “mini villages” inspired by the lockdown:

“Where there are clusters of small businesses such as restaurants, cafes, wine shops, takeaways, dairies and small groceries, pedestrianised areas could dominate. Cars can be diverted around the immediate area or markedly slowed down so that walkers and cyclists have priority.”

As well as being a regional councillor, I’m involved in business and community ventures that have had to weather the storm of Covid-19. I know how the lockdown affected bottom lines and business plans, but the answer is not to attack public services and take opportunistic potshots at what you might see as your competition. That’s not only morally repugnant during a health emergency, but also bad for business.

The right thing to do would be to pull the ads off the air and to stop attacking public transport at a time when Wellingtonians are coming back to work and reviving our city’s economy. Now more than ever, businesses, communities, and every one of us should be doing our best to support each other and work together to shape a better future.

Wilson Parking New Zealand CEO Ryan Orchard responds:

Wilson Parking regrets the misinterpretation of its latest radio advertisement. We are disappointed in the opportunistic and false claims made by a minority of councillors as we are in process of returning our 250 New Zealand employees to work and like many others, begin rebuilding our business.

Our intention was never to imply that public transportation was unsafe and we don’t feel our advertisement does this. Our aim is simply to highlight that driving as an accessible, flexible and affordable option for those who have begun commuting again. We have shown our support to businesses, communities and individuals transitioning into new working patterns by lowering parking fees and offering more flexibility to remove stress around commuting and increase parking accessibility for those who choose to drive.

The claim that Wilson Parking is using misinformation in its advertising is false. Our message is entirely consistent with official recommendations to avoid crowded transportation.

To minimise risk on public transport, the government has recommended that individuals travel at off-peak times and avoid sitting or standing next to people that they don’t know.

Wilson Parking fully supports the use of public transport as one of a range of modes for the daily commute. A number of our facilities support access to public transport, and we are simply promoting driving as an alternative and safe way to commute.

We are well aware of the seriousness of the health issue and maintain that driving to work is an effective social distancing tool during this time.

We acknowledge that some workers may benefit from driving and they should not be shamed for this choice. For those who have access to a vehicle, have a physical disability, live or work with vulnerable people, or are vulnerable themselves, driving is a valid option to practise social distancing and minimise contact with strangers.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the community, we have partnered with many organisations through this crisis to provide free or heavily discounted parking to healthcare and essential workers, including the New Zealand Police and St. John’s Ambulance.

We are working closely with many New Zealand businesses who are currently offering their employees more parking options to support a smoother transition back into the workplace and we encourage businesses to continue to make contact with us to discuss ways we can assist them.

Wilson Parking is a business that is an active part of the city’s economy and supportive of Wellington’s businesses, communities and workers.

Our current initiatives are in support of getting people back to work and actively participating in the city’s economy. We’ve reduced our rates by as much as 50% in some locations to create more accessible parking as workers return to the CBD.

We are doing our part in shaping our services to be flexible and solution-oriented for Wellingtonians, and in fact all New Zealanders, as they return to workplaces and the city. We’re open to meeting with constructive councillors to discuss how we can be more active in supporting Wellington’s vision for a better future.

Ryan Orchard, CEO, Wilson Parking New Zealand