They included a Cabinet paper on April 17, which put the estimated cost of managed isolation hotels at $195 million for the first six months, based on 190 arrivals a day. Increased social inequalityThe Government expects the already high and increasing rates of homelessness will be made worse by the social and economic impacts emerging from Covid-19. Public health impactsThe Ministry of Health dismissed pleas from intensive care specialists for higher-grade masks for health workers dealing with Covid patients. A Cabinet paper from June 2 noted a request from an expert advisory group to revise ministry guidelines on protective masks in intensive care units. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield wanted the country to stay at level 2 restrictions for another few days.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 31, 2020 03:56 UTC