At a time where COVID-19/20/21 is ravaging the global populous with renewed tenacity, I was foolish enough to expect people might have pulled in their heads somewhat.

Oh my, was I mistaken.

‘The worsening COVID-19 outbreak in the UK is making it close to impossible for many Kiwis trying to get back home’.

Imagine my distaste to come across the aforementioned excerpt in a recent Newshub publication.

In that same article, causing me to choke a little: ‘On Sunday the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced six cases of the new UK Variant were in New Zealand.’

Gosh, this all sounds wonderful. They are ‘behind the border’ though, so, you know.

That Newshub article just kept on flowing, like the exceptional piece of writing it was: ‘COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced on Sunday that on January 15, all travellers from the UK will need to return a negative COVID-19 test prior to departure.’

Funny, that just there, common sense told me that would have been happening months ago; mind you, didn’t work so brilliantly for that planeload of Russian fruit-pickers, did it? Every one of them entering quarantine with COVID-ravaged lungs, so, yeah.

There is a supposed vaccine though, so, well, you know, if it’s anywhere near as effective as those other viral vaccines like the Flu jab; if you are in the unlikely minority who contract genuine Influenza – as opposed to a heavy case of Cold – there is then a chance you have been vaccinated against the strain of Influenza currently plaguing you but, more likely not (in other words, the Flu vaccine provides low-percentage protection against an even lower percentage virus).

Of course, I am extremely thankful that our Government is managing the Coronavirus pandemic with such competency and I am furthermore thankful that I am a citizen of a country where officials take seriously the rules and the regulations that keep people safe.

I am aghast that, having been told almost a year ago of a potentially worsening Novel Coronavirus epidemic, we now find there are Kiwis out there who possess such a strong and selfish sense of self-preservation, that they are willing to potentially bring down their native land just to be safe.

You make the self-centred choice eight months ago to stay abroad, so be it, but are you really so gutless that now you’ll come running back to safety?

Huh, each to their own, I guess.

Article by Tim Walker

Edited by Devi Staten

Photography by Homer Land