Happy Easter, Hawke’s Bay, and what a glorious day it is too!
No new cases for us, so the stats remain the same, save for a new raft of testing.
There’s a couple of interesting reports on RNZ today. One looks at why NZ’s mortality rate is so low. At 0.38%, our ratio of deaths to cases is extremely low compared with other countries around the world (Italy and UK are 12%, France 10%, US and China 4%, Germany 2.3%, Australia 1%). There are a number of factors which contribute to differences, such as demographics, health care system characteristics, numbers of people being tested, even air pollution levels. One reason for our low mortality rate thus far, experts say, is the disproportionate numbers of young people testing positive (those in their 20s account for 24% of NZ’s total confirmed cases, most with links to travel) and the fact we have limited community transmission due to our ‘go early, go hard’ approach.
The other report is on a survey undertaken by Research New Zealand, which found two thirds of Kiwis are willing to have the lockdown extended (beyond 22 April) if it means we eradicate Covid-19, and that there’s strong support for a nationwide 10pm curfew. But two thirds of us are also anxious about how we’ll pay the mortgage or rent (64% respectively). Other findings show that younger people have the highest concern about the lockdown and the most difficulty in keeping to their bubble, and 85% of parents surveyed are worried about how their kids are coping with restrictions. Over half of us (54%) are still uneasy about the country’s food supply.
BayBuzz wonders what the responses might be here in Hawke’s Bay to these questions and how they would compare. In our regional cornucopia are we as worried about food or less, for instance?
Hawke’s Bay Covid-19 Case Numbers
| 12 April | Hastings | Napier | CHB | Wairoa | Total |
| New cases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total cases | 14 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 38 |
| Hospitalisations | 1 | ||||
| Recovered | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Number of tests in HB | 2,020
(as of 11 Apr) |
| 12 April | New Zealand | Global |
| New cases | 18
(2,421 tested) | 79,800 |
| Total cases | 1,330
(61,167 tests) | 1.78 million |
| Hospitalisations | 14
(5 in ICU) | |
| Deaths | 4 | 109,000 |
| Recovered | 471 | 403,000 |
Source: Ministry of Health, Hawke’s Bay DHB, and John Hopkins University.