Serious concerns over quality of Chinese masks and PPE

 By Sir Ray Avery   Auckland - China's medical device market regulators have in recent days seized more than 89 faulty million masks and 418,000 pieces of questionable personal protective equipment (PPE) in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Chinese government's intervention followed a slew of complaints about faulty COVID-19 protective gear

PPE greatest threat to NZ’s covid-19 strategy

By Sir Ray Avery   Auckland - Over the past few weeks, the daily briefings by the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Dr Ashley Bloomfield have reassured the New Zealand public that there are sufficient stocks of essential covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) available for frontline medical staff. However, frontline staff in hospitals

The statisticians that may have killed New Zealand

By Sir Ray Avery Auckland - Today, the government made a critical decision regarding on whether to extend one of the most draconian COVID-19 mitigation lockdowns of any country in the world. Last weekend, ministers have been studying modelling data from an Auckland University team headed by Professor Shaun Hendy. Professor Hendy recommended we

Need for best personal protective equipment in NZ is critical

By Sir Ray Avery Auckland - Hundreds of frontline medical staff around the world have died of Covid-19 infection and the need for appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is irrefutable. PPE clothing should do three things: Protect the caregiver from infection by the patient and the ambient environment; protect the patient from

NZ commercial leases need to be regulated

Christchurch - The New Zealand exercise industry is calling on the government to step in and regulate the commercial leases during the covid-19 pandemic, just as they have done with residential tenancies. ExerciseNZ chief executive Richard Beddie says they have surveyed their members and the early data shows most landlords are playing

All Blacks captain showing artistic style in pandemic lockdown

Christchurch - The coronavirus pandemic lockdown has prompted All Blacks rugby captain Kieran Read to stick a few fridge magnets around a sketch from one of his first overseas tours, in 2006. Read has posted the French streetscape 2006 sketch on Instagram, from when he was staying in Vichy, in the Clermont-Ferrand

Exercise experts producing NZ’s biggest online directory during lockdown

Christchurch - ExerciseNZ is working with the New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) to produce the country’s largest directory of online exercise providers. REPs has 3500 members and more than 250 facilities, representing about 70 percent of the workforce of the industry. ExerciseNZ chief executive Richard Beddie says around 80 percent of trainers