HDPA says quarantine all arrivals

HDPA writes:

The social and economic cost to this country is higher than any of us can possibly imagine on day four. Which is why the Government needs to keep this lockdown as short as it possibly can.

To do that, it must stop the arrival of coronavirus into this country from overseas. As many as 50 infected people are arriving here each day. That’s according to Dr David Skegg, who reckons we’re trying to empty a bath with a jug while the tap’s still running. The tap is the flow of infected arrivals from overseas.

Every day that arrivals keep bringing it in is potentially another delay in lifting the lockdown. It’s heartening that the Government is now quarantining arrivals who are sick or who have no satisfactory plans to self-isolate. But that’s simply not enough.

Not everyone carrying the virus on arrival looks sick on arrival. We’re hearing stories of people only feeling sick 11 days after arriving in New Zealand. Not everyone promising to self-isolate will self-isolate. How many stories have we heard of tourists taking scenic helicopter flights and posting letters when they should be in isolation?

Over the Tasman, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ordered a compulsory 14-day quarantine for absolutely everyone arriving there. We need to do this too.

I agree. A test and a quarantine period for every new arrival.