Face of the Day

Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles says New Zealand’s shift to red isn’t going far enough to meet the threat that is Omicron – and her family won’t be entering indoor bars and restaurants while there’s community transmission.

Under the red traffic light setting coming into force nationwide from midnight, many businesses including hospitality venues can remain open, provided they required vaccine passes and limited numbers to 100 with one-metre seating.

Wiles, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Auckland, said while those limits would reduce the number of people that can be in one place, airborne spread still posed a high risk – even with some masking and social distancing requirements in place.

[…] “What frustrates me about this kind of response is that it puts people in danger, if they don’t have the privilege of being able to say, well, I’m not going to do this kind of activity.”

Asked about Wiles’ concerns today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed that closing hospitality venues wasn’t part of the Government’s plan.

NZ Herald

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