Kate Hawkesby: I will be shopping in Auckland tomorrow, who's with me?

Well done Auckland.  
The high vax rates have led us to where we are now – getting shops open come Wednesday. It’s several weeks too late, but we’ll take it.  
Key takeaways from yesterday’s announcement - it’s no longer about Covid and cases, it’s about, as I said yesterday, length of lockdown, lack of compliance. The ‘health response’ for all that the Rod Jackson’s want to squeal about it, is over. Ardern did make mention of mental health though, about time. 
What an unnecessary strain this has been. 
Northland goes to Level 2 later this week, the traffic light system will be in place by the start of next month, the PM sounded super keen for a summer, and why wouldn’t she be, she’s got a wedding to get underway.   
And call me cynical, but her choosing Wednesday as the day to visit Auckland is not lost on anyone. How convenient. The day the shops open up, she’s suddenly able to waft into town... are you kidding me?  
If anyone was in any doubt that this is a ‘good vibes only’ PM, there’s your confirmation. We won’t see her at any hairdressers or hospo outlets; God forbid, she’ll be in Counties Manukau, somewhere in South Auckland, looking for high fives. Surrounded by preferably children, or pre vetted supporters. 
She was actually asked if she expected protestors, she played that down saying only a small minority protested her, she said she won’t be increasing her security. I mean why would she, she’ll be sticking firmly to vaccination centres in far flung places. 
So poor old hospo is still on ice. At least another three weeks, it has to wait until all three Auckland DHB’s reach 90 percent double jabbed.
There’s now a huge expectation riding on first doses rocking up for their second doses in the next three weeks. My guess is even if they don’t, the Government will blink first, they’ll admit defeat – though they won’t word it that way. They’ll word it as some kind of world leading world beating huge achievement but, basically they’ll fold on the 90 percent if it hasn’t been reached. 
So mark your diary for Freedom Day November 29. 
As for the border, it’ll be open too. 
iIt’s still a mystery how and that’s concerning that they still don’t know what they’re doing there. But for the people still listening to the squealing hysteria of the ‘people will die!’ epidemiologists, like Rod Jackson, you’re in for a shock.  
The Government’s no longer listening to them, neither should we. I don’t know why they get so much airtime. All they’re doing is fuelling fear, and the fear mongering is over. 
So, I for one, will be happy to be out supporting local shops as they fling open their doors Wednesday. 
I’m confident the sky won’t fall in, hospitals will not be swamped, we will just live with this virus, and it’s about bloody time.

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