It is not a time for panic. It is, however, a time to draw up a pandemic preparedness plan. Where to begin? Siouxsie Wiles to the rescue. The Spinoff’s ongoing expert-led, evidence-based coverage of Covid-19 is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join Spinoff Members here. Now that Covid-19 has officially been declared … Read more
She had a modest message about peace and solidarity to share, and then it was confiscated from her. Something perturbing happened to my friend at the cricket. It was, on the face of it, a minor act of censorship that went unnoticed by most. It might have been something and it might have been nothing. … Read more
In light of Covid-19’s new pandemic status, the Ministry of Health gave an update this afternoon on New Zealand’s status and measures being taken. For the fifth consecutive day, there have been no new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. The numbers remain at five confirmed and two probable. Director-general at the Ministry of Health, … Read more
Several major events across the US have also been postponed or cancelled, including the NBA season after a player tests positive. What’s happening? In a televised address from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump has announced that all travel by foreigners from Europe to the United States would be suspended from midnight Friday for the … Read more
We wanted to find out how schools were doing, irrespective of the privilege of their students. So we created a new measure to assess it, and we’re urging the Ministry of Education to pick it up, writes Eric Crampton of the New Zealand Initiative. If your school has strong NCEA results, is it because it’s … Read more
Eden Park has been home to Kiwi sports fans for 120 years, but now it’s launched a new effort: to be a leading NZ venue for big music events. The battle between the managers of Eden Park and residents of the leafy streets surrounding the stadium is about to resume, with a resource consent application … Read more
Cameo is a website where fans can pay for their favourite movie, television, sports or social media star to send them personalised video messages. In the throes of a full-face rash, I paid two of the country’s top sportspeople to send some positive vibes my way. For a while I’ve been obsessed with the idea … Read more
The spectre of the coronavirus Covid-19 has reminded us all of the importance of hand-washing, face-touching and other basic hygiene. And it got Madeleine Chapman wondering: how many things do my hands come into contact with every day? In recording everything I touched over the course of a regular workday, I learned four things. 1. Having … Read more
The fear you carry over this virus is the fear those of us who have children with compromised immune systems carry all the time, says Emily Writes. Standing at the empty aisles in Pak n Save a woman turned to me and said – “well great – there’s no hand sanitiser, what am I going … Read more
A recent opinion piece on the Spinoff warned of the dangers of voluntourism, a term for programmes that charge travellers for short-term volunteer experiences. Here, two volunteering organisations tell Josie Adams why what they do is different. A tourism-volunteering hybrid, the burgeoning industry of “voluntourism” has been criticised for charging westerners thousands while costing communities … Read more
You wouldn’t use the riff from ‘Slice of Heaven’ to spruik your products without permission, so why is visual art any different? Catherine Jeffcoat looks at a recent initiative to let street artists know about their copyright protections and comes up with some useful tips for the communications profession. Maybe you work in a small … Read more
Passengers arriving from China are not having their temperatures checked at the border, as in some countries. Here the Ministry of Health explains their rationale. While temperature checks have become commonplace across countries such as China and South Korea – together responsible for the vast majority of the almost 110,000 cases reported worldwide – New … Read more
It’s difficult enough caring for coronavirus patients, but when healthcare providers become sick themselves, or are forced into self-quarantine, it becomes even harder to cope. So how is New Zealand preparing for staff shortages in the health system? News that 43 hospital staff have been put into self-quarantine after coming into close contact with a … Read more
How is the coronavirus likely to play out, how does it end, and does our behaviour make a difference? Here infectious diseases expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles walks us through the epidemic curve, with illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff’s ongoing expert-led, evidence-based coverage of Covid-19 is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join … Read more
The idea of women late in pregnancy ‘nesting’ – preparing the home for the arrival of their newborn – is ingrained in popular culture and reinforced by health-care professionals, but in fact has no scientific basis. We’ve been led to believe women have a biological urge to tidy, clean and prepare the home for their … Read more
These activists are not above the law. But where does the moral line lie in a global emergency, asks Environment Canterbury councillor Lan Pham. * Be good citizens. Use your manners. Abide by the rules. They’re messages that are drilled into us from an early age, and form part of the social “contract” most of … Read more
We’ve all got teeth, so why can only some of us afford to look after them? The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby Morris, supported by NZ On Air. Read the rest of the series here.
The third case involves an Auckland man in his 40s. And it almost certainly means a fourth. What’s the latest? The Ministry of Health has revealed more information about the third positive test for Covid-19 in New Zealand. The case was confirmed early this morning but without any detail. In light of those details, it … Read more
The woman, in her 30s, had returned to Auckland from northern Italy over a week ago. What’s the latest? The Ministry of Health announced just before noon today that a second case of Covid-19 had been confirmed, with testing last night coming in positive. The affected woman, who is in her 30s, and her family … Read more
It’s a hard habit to shake – but we have to try. The Covid-19 virus is spread mainly through droplets being coughed and sneezed onto people and surfaces which are transferred to others by touch. One of the precautions recommended by experts to help prevent the spread of the virus is to avoid shaking hands. … Read more
Part of preparing for the unknown is creating and maintaining local networks of people. Community development expert Anneleise Hall explains. As more information becomes available about the spread of Covid-19 around the world, we are reminded just how much is outside our control. We are advised not to panic but to be prepared. That hasn’t … Read more
As media coverage of Covid-19 has really ramped up, people have started asking me how they should talk to kids about the disease. So, here are some handy tips. The Spinoff’s ongoing coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. To support our journalism join members here. Don’t talk to your kids … Read more
Plenty of people have lost their heads as Covid-19 is confirmed in New Zealand. At its most toxic, the targets are Chinese New Zealanders like me, writes Leizi Lee. The apocalypse is upon us. I know this because when I woke up this morning, my front lawn had turned into a sea of lava. To … Read more
By the end it was was best known for the drunken brawls that marked its conclusion each year, but for a time the Undie 500 was a (relatively) innocent Christchurch-to-Dunedin lark. Chelle Fitzgerald met up with Undie 500 founding member Matt McCloy for a nostalgic look back. This is an edited version of a story … Read more
We will soon see what happens when this coronavirus meets a woefully underprepared national response, writes microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles. In just a couple of months, Covid-19 has gone from the hypothetical scenario that infectious diseases experts have been warning the world might happen to a global reality that is giving financial markets the shivers. As … Read more
The On the Rag team assemble to dissect the previous month in news, media and feminism. It’s somehow the end of February so we’re here to look back at the month in Women’s Stuff. Uniform shorts are sending young women into counselling sessions at a a local high school, but why? How the hell did … Read more
As government agencies prioritise online interaction, what does it mean for those who just don’t have the digital literacy? A new report explores the scale of digital exclusion in NZ. Pita, an elderly gentleman, received a letter from the IRD that claimed he hadn’t paid his tax obligations and threatened legal action if he didn’t … Read more
An anonymous Department of Conservation staff member, who wishes to be known only as the Carefree Vigilante, provides a handy guide to dealing with menstruation, and menstrual products, in the wild. This post was first published on the Department of Conservation blog. I’ve got six or seven rational fears and about 900 irrational ones. On … Read more
The clash between urban cyclists and car drivers has been brewing for several years now. But pedestrians have been advocating for their rights far longer, writes Stephen Day. Not so long ago, the journalist Bernard Hickey predicted that cyclists vs motorists will become one of the political issues of our age. “We are going to … Read more