BY RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission
A person is in a serious condition following a shooting in Auckland.
Emergency services were called to a house on Whimbrel Road in the suburb of Flat Bush after 1pm today after reports a firearm had been discharged.
They said a vehicle was seen leaving the property just before officers arrived.
A person was found with a gunshot wound and they were taken to hospital.
Investigations are continuing.
by RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission
A man who admitted punching a young MMA fighter in the head three times who later died in hospital has been sentenced to six months’ home detention.
Ofa He Mooni Folau is one of four men charged in relation to the death of Fau Vake, a 25-year-old rising MMA fighter.
Folau, 29, is not alleged to have been responsible for Vake’s death, but did admit punching him and his brother three times each after leaving a central Auckland bar early one Sunday morning in May.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting with intent to injure.
The three other men charged have interim name suppression, and have pleaded not guilty and will go to trial next year.
One is charged with manslaughter.
More to come…
By RNZ/Radio New Zealand and is republished with permission.
Tonga’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a schedule of when Covid-19 vaccines will next become available for the Kingdom.
To start, a consignment of 10,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.
Photo: Supplied / Tonga Ministry of Health
Tomorrow’s doses are funded by the Australian Government thorugh the COVAX facility and will be sent to Ha’apai.
Another batch of Covid-19 vaccines is expected to arrive around mid to late August, funded by Japan.
Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola says these vaccines will be used to vaccinate people living at Tongatapu, Eua and the Niuas.
More vaccines, including Pfizer doses, funded by New Zealand, are planned for rollout in Tonga at the end of August or towards the last quarter of the year.
Dr ‘Akau’ola said these vaccines will be used to vaccinate anyone else in Tonga who may have missed out in the early vaccination stages.
Tonga has confirmed that Pfizer vaccine doses sent from New Zealand will be used for the youth aged 12 to 17 years and pregnant women.
The Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola told local media that if there are pregnant mothers who wished to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccines now, they won’t be turned away.
Tonga’s vulnerability to impacts of Covid-19 infection in terms of non-communicable disease risk factors remains high.
Dr ‘Akau’ola said that combining these two risks, make the risk for an unvaccinated pregnant woman extremely high.
He explained that concluded that the risk of the Delta variant of Covid entering Tonga from Fiji was increasing, and that if an outbreak happened in Tonga, it could be too late to vaccinate pregnant mothers to protect them.
Dr ‘Akau’ola said their only chance was to get vaccinated while Tonga is still Covid-19 free.
He said data on the safety of Covid-19 vaccine to pregnancy was being continuously collected and analysed. Results so far have not shown any significant short term adverse effects.
However, the WHO is advising countries that are choosing to give vaccines to pregnant women, to first consider if the risk of getting Covid-19 is greater than the risk of adverse events from getting the vaccine, which has so far been shown to be extremely low.
By RNZ/Radio New Zealand and is republished with permission.
With greater numbers of people being vaccinated and countries looking to reopen borders safely, the introduction of some form of vaccine passport seems increasingly likely.
A Covid-19 vaccination centre. Photo: Facebook
For New Zealand, where the elimination strategy has been largely successful but which remains vulnerable to border breaches, proof of vaccination may well be a condition of entry.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins has said this would be “almost an inevitability” within the next year. Air New Zealand is one of a number of airlines already trialling the IATA travel pass initiative.
Some countries are also requiring “health passes”, mandatory proof of vaccination or a negative test, including for indoor events (such as sports games and concerts) and hospitality – triggering anti-restriction protests in the process.
In Britain, the Royal Society has warned of the potential of vaccine passports to restrict the freedoms of some individuals, or to create a distinction between individuals based on health status.
Furthermore, vaccine passports use sensitive personal information, and recent cyber attacks on health sectors in New Zealand and overseas are a reminder that data security is not always guaranteed.
We should remember, however, that freedom of movement across borders has been routinely regulated throughout history. Modern passports for international travel have been in use for over 100 years.
Proof of vaccination is nothing new, either. Some countries have required certificates for yellow fever vaccination for a number of decades, and the World Health Organization’s “yellow card” vaccination document is familiar to many international travellers.
In New Zealand, immunisation registers document vaccination records for public health purposes. And in Australia, a “No Jab No Play/No Jab No Pay” policy governs eligibility for child welfare payments.
The right to freedom of movement is recognised in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as in other core UN human rights treaties that New Zealand has accepted.
The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act also includes the right to freedom of movement.
But border closures and lockdowns clearly demonstrate that this right can be limited, although this “must be necessary and have a legitimate aim, be proportionate and be based in law”.
In reality, any requirement that citizens use vaccine passports or passes will involve balancing various rights.
Limiting the right to freedom of movement can be justified on the grounds of public health. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights actually requires states to prevent, treat and control epidemic diseases as one means of ensuring the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
Because the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act also permits demonstrably justifiable restrictions on the right to freedom of movement, the various Covid-19 measures adopted by the government under the Health Act had to meet that requirement.
And Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpins the principle of active protection that “requires the Crown to act, to the fullest extent practicable, to achieve equitable health outcomes for Māori”.
While the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act does not contain a right to privacy, one of aims of the Privacy Act is to give effect to international obligations and standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Any initiatives to introduce vaccine passports or health passes must be underpinned by the right to be free from discrimination, as provided for in international human rights law, as well as the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of physical illness.
These requirements extend to the private sector, with particular rules at play around the provision of goods and services and access by the public to places, vehicles and facilities – an exception to the latter being the risk of infecting others with an illness.
But it’s not only a question of avoiding discrimination. Just as there have been questions about equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines themselves, universal access to the digital technology underpinning passports or passes presents a challenge.
More generally, as a recent UN report warned, “big data and artificial intelligence are entrenching racial inequality, discrimination and intolerance”.
Ultimately, it will be a balancing act, not a case of absolutes.
Digital vaccination certificates will help in the effort to reopen borders and protect public health. But there are significant implications for our rights as individuals. Careful and transparent decisions will be crucial.
* Claire Breen is a professor of law at the University of Waikato
By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission
Eight days into the new month and there is not much evidence of any improvement to Fiji’s Covid-19 situation.
The latest figures from the start of August show huge increases when compared with the same period in July.
By the end of July, Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services had recorded 25,363 new infections and 218 deaths for the month.
According to government figures, the country started July with 3503 infections but by the month’s end, 21,707 people were living with the Delta strain of the coronavirus.
But only eight days into August and the health authorities have reported more than 6500 new infections, which is twice the 1743 reported for the same period last month.
In terms of deaths, August has already registered 57 lives lost compared to nine in July.
In his update for 7 August, Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong had announced 682 new cases and six more deaths for the 24-hour period to 8am.
While most of the deaths have been the elderly, there continues to be an upward trend of younger Fijians.
Last night, an 18-year-old woman from Suva had died at home from the virus.
“Her family reported that she had a cough five days prior to her presentation,” Dr Fong said. “She was not vaccinated.”
In the same period last month, a 21-year-old man from Malake died of Covid-19. He was from an island off of Rakiraki in a small sugar-cane farming town almost 150 kilometres north west of the capital Suva.
“He was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Rakiraki Sub-Divisional Hospital. This means that he died at home or on his way to the hospital. His family reported that he had shortness of breath one day prior to presentation,” Dr Fong said.
“He received his first dose of the vaccine in early May. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.”
.. Photo: Fiji govt
Other deaths to younger patients included a toddler who died this month and a 15-year-old who passed away last month.
Dr Fong also noted alarming increases of new infections in the Western Division of the country which had dramatically reduced its cases to close to zero after the initial April outbreak.
He said there was “evidence of community transmission in that division.
“We are also recording increasing numbers of people with severe disease and deaths in the west. The northern and eastern divisions currently have no active cases.”
Vaccination continues to be the main strategy of the government’s response with the rollout gaining ground despite increasing reluctance among the indigenous and Christian population.
By 7 August, the Health Ministry said it had administered the first dose of vaccines to 87.3 percent of the target population (600,000) while 30.4 percent were fully vaccinated.
Although the ministry no longer conducts contact tracing in the community, the seven-day daily test average is 3234 per day or 3.5 tests per 1000 population.
That puts the country’s daily test positivity rate at 32 percent. The World Health Organisation threshold for an out-of-control pandemic is a daily test positivity rate at five percent which Fiji had passed in June.
There are now 24,070 active cases in isolation, with a quarter of them at home due to a lack of hospital beds.
By RNZ/Radio New Zealand and is republished with permission.
A public health expert says the highly transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 could prompt a local lockdown with even one community case in New Zealand.
Otago University Professor Nick Wilson said of the the 25 Covid-19 cases currently in managed isolation and quarantine, “most” are likely Delta.
The Delta variant, originally identified in India, is almost twice as contagious as the original Covid-19 strain that came out of Wuhan, China, according to the American Society for Microbiology.
Last Friday, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that fully vaccinated people can become infected and transmit the Delta variant, unlike other variants. It described this as “concerning” and a “pivotal discovery”.
“Delta has really changed the situation quite substantially,” Wilson said.
If a case of Delta was found in the community in New Zealand, Wilson said the government would rapidly have to determine if there was an identifiable border connection. If there was any uncertainty about this or how long the chain of transmission was, he said the government would move quickly.
“There would have be some very fast decision making to consider a local lockdown, and that is the approach that we’ve seen working in Australia. If it’s done fast and hard and quick, it may mean that a lockdown in a city or town can be restricted to just a matter of days.”
Wilson said the transmissibility of Delta meant MIQ facilities should have infection prevention control at the “absolutely best level possible”. He said there has been progress in reducing MIQ-related risk, with vaccination of workers and work on improving ventilation.
“With the very high infectiousness of this Delta variant, we may need to do even more. That would be things like absolutely avoiding people mixing in exercise areas and smoking areas, which still occurs,” Wilson said.
Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins this week revealed 44 percent of port workers have not had a single dose of the vaccine, which he attributed to “misinformation”.
Wilson said the fact border workers are unprotected is a real concern.
“We know we’ve had problems at the border before with infections occurring in seafarers arriving from overseas.”
Wilson said something has to change here – either the vaccination rate or the workers.
“This is an area that a lot more should have been done, to get those vaccination levels in port workers increased. And to seriously look at when those workers, if they refuse vaccination, actually moving them from those particular at risk jobs to other jobs where they won’t be exposed.”
By One News / TVNZ. Republished with permission
Dame Valerie Adams will cap off her storied Olympic career in fine fashion, by leading out the New Zealand team for the closing ceremony at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 36-year-old has been named as the flagbearer for the closing ceremony by the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
It will be the first time Adams has carried the flag in her 17-year Olympic career dating back to Athens 2004.
Last week, Adams won bronze in the women’s shot put, adding to her gold medals in 2008 and 2012, and silver in 2016.
In the announcement broadcast on Facebook, New Zealand’s chef de mission Rob Waddell said Adams had been an “incredible contributor to the Olympic team values” and “laid a foundation for so many athletes”.
Upon being named, Adams said she was “very humbled and honoured” to be named as the flagbearer.
“It’s been an amazing Games for us and I’m looking forward to walking out there with pride and holding the flag up high,” Adams said.
The closing ceremony begins at 11pm Sunday (NZ time).
Police are investigating whether or not there was a connection between a wooded raft they have seized and the packages of cocaine worth of more than TOP$4 million washed up in Vava’u recently.
Detective Acting Deputy Commissioner Halatoa Tāufa said the raft was discovered on the Ha’alaufuli beach on which the cocaine packages washed up.
He denied allegation on social media that the raft was used to transport the cocaine.
The allegations were made under a picture of the raft which was shared to Facebook.
The seizure of the raft and the cocaine last week came after a cargo ship was spotted anchoring off the island’s coast last year.
Hōleva Town Officer Uele Moala said the presence of the ship at the time was suspicious. He said it was claimed the ship was awaiting a pilot but that was strange to happen in that particular sea area.
He said he complained to the authority about the incident.
Police have made several arrests last week following the discovery of the cocaine which included seven people in Vava’u and one from Tongatapu. The suspects included Tongans and foreign nationals.
They were expected to appear in the Magistrate Court in Neiafu tomorrow August 9.
By One News/TVNZ
A South Canterbury community is reeling from the aftermath of last night’s fatal crash which killed five Timaru teenagers. A sixth boy, who was the driver, is also in hospital with serious injuries.
The overloaded sedan crashed into a power pole at the intersection of Seadown Road and Meadows Road in Washdyke, north of Timaru; hitting it with such force that the car split in two.
Inspector Dave Gaskin this morning told media five passengers, aged 15 and 16-year-old, were found dead on arrival with one having been riding in the car boot.
“The vehicle involved was a Nissan Bluebird, and apparently it hit a power pole with such force that it broke in half, spreading debris down the road,” Gaskin said.
Having crammed into the car without enough seats, Gaskin said that he doesn’t believe many, if any, of the boys were wearing a seatbelt.
It is also not known whether any of the boys had their drivers license, let alone their full license, he said.
“With the young men being 15 and 16 and the driver only being 19, you would expect he probably doesn’t have his full license.”
Gaskin noted their deaths will have been a significant blow for the tight knit community of Timaru, adding that he had known one of the boys involved.
“Timaru is a very small community, and I’m sure this is going to touch a lot of people. I knew one of the boys, I know the family of one of the boys.
“It is a tragedy and it will reverberate in our community for some time.”
The 19-year-old being treated in Timaru Hospital is “surrounded by family” and is yet to be interviewed by police.
According to Gaskin, police had been out patrolling the area earlier that night following reports of a boy racer in the area.
While he confirmed these teens weren’t the vehicle in question, the crash had happened at a notorious intersection.
“This is not unusual for these intersections – Meadows Road and Seadown Road. It is a wide intersection with long straights and it is a favourite for those who wish to carry out antisocial road user activity.”
A full crash investigation will be carried out, however, it does appear speed and potentially alcohol were a factor in the crash.
“It is pretty clear that there are a number of contributing factors, obviously speed, appears alcohol may have been involved and there were six people in the vehicle, there’s only five lots of seatbelts.”
Police are asking for anyone who may have seen the Nissan Bluebird last night, with the registration UI17799, to contact them on 105.
Police are investigating after four people were injured in a gang related disorder event at Fort Richard Road, Ōtāhuhu, just before 1:30pm today.
On arrival Police located two injured males in a vehicle.
They were both transported to Auckland Hospital by ambulance – one in a serious condition and one in a minor condition.
The man in a serious condition is undergoing surgery this afternoon.
Two further males presented themselves at Middlemore Hospital and are being treated for injuries which Police believe eventuated from the same incident.
No arrests have been made as yet however a large number of Police are in the Fort Richard Road and Sturges Park area speaking to people and conducting inquiries into the incident.
Police would like to reassure the community that this appears to be an isolated incident.
There is nothing to suggest this is connected to recent gang tensions in the area.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, or has any information which may assist, is asked to contact Police by calling 105 and quoting event number P047459560.
