Omicron’s effects on our health are much milder than Covid 19. Many of my family in Europe have had Omicron and their reported symptoms ranged from “I didn’t know I had it” to “I had a cold”.
The price we are paying now is way out of proportion to the current health risks. The effect two years of restrictions have had on our business community have been disastrous.
Mental health has suffered greatly. Suicide rates and family violence have increased. Our children’s wellbeing and education have suffered. How many deaths will we see in the coming years because hospital appointments, surgeries and treatments were cancelled?
This government have also put back racial equality for decades. It was obscene how government and press reported outbreaks and vaccination rates based on ethnic groups. To report Maori or Pacific Islanders were not playing their part in vaccination programmes have led to greater divisions within society.
We must learn from other countries’ experiences and overcome our irrational fear of Omicron before we fall further behind the rest of the world. The effects of Omicron will take years to overcome. The sooner all restrictions are removed the better.
Robin Trevallion
Mellons Bay
