Keeping our communities safe and our economy moving

As I write it’s been more than 70 days since a case of community transmission of COVID-19 in New Zealand. We are COVID-19 free inside our borders and we are all working to keep it that way.

Keeping us safe means keeping COVID-19 out. People returning to New Zealand must stay in a managed isolation facility for two weeks, and are only allowed to leave if they have had two negative COVID-19 tests. If a person refuses to be tested, they need to remain in isolation for four weeks.

At present, the costs of managed isolation are paid by the government. People coming home are placed in good quality hotels and all meals are supplied.

Some New Zealanders have negative attitudes towards those who are coming home. Thankfully these attitudes are not widespread and many people who live near isolation hotels have made welcome home signs or reached out to ensure that returnees feel welcome.

Most people arriving back in New Zealand have respected the rules for managed isolation. A small handful – less than 0.01% - have flouted the rules. We’re all upset by this. As a nation, we all locked down hard for four weeks, and then kept going nearly as hard for another three weeks. Having communities free from COVID-19 means we are on track to keep our economy moving. We don’t want to put that at risk again.

In these unprecedented times, I’m so impressed to see the resilience among small business owners in my electorate. We now have one of the most open economies in the world but we know it remains a challenging time for many. To help with this, the government has just provided a further $40 million for the Regional Business Partners (RBP) Network so small business owners can continue to access free professional advice.

Eligibility criteria for this can be found at https://covid19.nzte.govt.nz/page/regional-business-partner-network

The best way to keep up the momentum of economic recovery, retain jobs, and adapt to COVID-19 is if we all work together. We are all Kiwis, and we are all an important part of our team of 5 million. Let’s continue to support each other as we keep New Zealand COVID free and our economy moving forward.

-Deborah Russell Labour MP for New Lynn, Auckland.