A huge criticism of th media....
Over and over again, including you Bernard, have not actually listened to the official reports...
We have no swine flu cases in NZ..we have a few SUSPECT cases, some of which have been confirmed as NOT swine flu (Nortcote College)
Because as you say Bernard, our authorities are very open on matters like these, the rightfully 'panic' at 1st signs and swing into action as a precautionary action....which is also a a hands on 'exercise' to improve procedures for the future.

Our Media in NZ is primarily responsible how it is reported off shore, and have done a very poor job so far reporting the facts, but rather acted irresponsible by competing for the best drama and headlines.

So as the rest of the world is concerned...at this point in time, NZ does have swine flu. front page news...But If all cases prove negative, which has a very good chance of happening...reporting world wide "NZ swine flu negative" will be on bottom page 5 or not reported at all.

If -ve, and/or fully contained if +ve, Any effects on NZ airlines, tourism, can be placed squarely at the feet of NZ media.

Didn't the last Gumnut blow $ 200 million, give or take, on Tami-Flu virus innoculations. Might be a chance to use $ 20 or $ 30 worth of it, before the stuff expires into uselessness ( as the last Gumnut did )

Steptoe - I agree, its all sensationalist stuff at the moment.
Of course we need to treat it seriously, but its been blown out of proportion at this stage

OK so now we have freaking swine flu confirmed in NZ - no longer such sensationalist stuff Steptoe.

So what next for NZ now that we have a potential human to human deadly pandemic on our shores. Absolutely gutting that one of the first countries it has spread to - that's our tourism industry finished off and probably student migration.

What will the impact really be for New Zealand? Will the economy shut down and people stay home in fear just as they have in Mexico City.

I hope this flu season passes like any other, but from a risk management point of view those in denial are in a fantasy world. Risk = (probability of event occurring) x (impact of event occurring). What is rational is for businesses to plan for the potential impact of an event to that business.

We are well past the probability stage, given the WHO alert increase to level 5.

Doug - please provide a link that WHO have already raised to level 5?

Yes thanks Trev, I knew it was level 4 just wanted to hear Doug say it :). He seems on the jumpy side.........

By the way - I have little doubt it will eventually hit level 6, but in the meantime thankfully most people seem to be acting rationally. I suspect we may be heading towards something like the outbreak in the late '60s. However economically it could not have come at a worse time - for example it would probably help put the housing market back into deep freeze (I sense it was heading that way again anyway - things here in Nelson have gone pretty much back to where they were before the late summer 'bounce' in terms of sales in the past 3 weeks).