The downside of an elimination strategy: Is NZ about the pay the price?

New Zealand has postponed their national election because of a COVID-19 cluster which highlights their different approach to the pandemic. They are going for elimination, while Australia is pursuing suppression.  

 

Their elimination strategy had been working well. After a national stage four six week lock down, restrictions were lifted and life seemed to return to normal until last week when the clean streak ended, and restrictions came back into play. So is New Zealand starting to pay a bigger price for the elimination strategy, and how different is their strategy to ours? Is elimination even a reality?

 

Professor Michael Baker is an epidemiologist on the New Zealand Health Ministry’s COVID19 Technical Advisory Group and joins us to explain if New Zealand’s elimination strategy is about to get a whole lot more difficult.

 

In today's news headlines:

• 99% of Victoria’s Covid-19 cases are linked to hotel quarantine, while NSW government apologises for Ruby Princess crisis
• NZ Pushes Back Election Due To Covid
• Young Aussies are the target of the latest ad campaign around Covid-19 ad campaign. 

 

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