This content was sourced from the EMA*
The EMA is asking for the mandatory carrying of digital vaccine passports to enter the workplace, with digital exemptions and extra precautions applying to those who can’t or choose not to be vaccinated.
Chief Executive Brett O’Riley says carrying the passport - currently being investigated by Government - will give employers and employees the certainty and the safety they want in their workplace and will give an incentive to those hesitant about getting vaccinated.
"The majority of New Zealanders are getting vaccinated, and we know some employers were already using a no jab, no entry policy to protect their workplaces prior to this latest outbreak," says Mr O’Riley.
"Under health and safety legislation employers have to provide a safe and healthy workplace for their workers and carrying vaccine passports is one way to do this.
"You’ll need a vaccine passport at work and if you are visiting a workplace, retail or service outlet or a bar or restaurant you’ll also need a passport to enter.
"Those that can’t be vaccinated for medical, religious or other reasons will have to apply for and carry a digital exemption and may have to wear masks and/or register for track and tracing - current policy at Level 3 - to be allowed in. The unvaccinated may have to take some responsibility for the circumstances or decisions they face while the extra precautions would help employers manage a potential mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated staff."
The EMA is not asking for compulsory vaccination in the workplace.
"The Government has made it very clear that’s a step too far under various legislated rights for our citizens, but it has also failed to step up with any direction or guidance for businesses trying to manage and create vaccination policies in the workplace.
"The current risk-based approach recommended by the Minister and MBIE is a recipe for court cases, costs and delays while jurisprudence is sorted. The last thing businesses need now is more uncertainty."
Mr O’Riley said carrying the passport would encourage hesitant workers to get vaccinated or face extra safety measures.
"Many of our members draw their workforces from communities that have proved hard to reach in the current vaccination programme and this would be another way of reaching into those communities.
"We’d also like to see changes made at the border to incentivise vaccination as well. If the border is to remain in place long-term - as indicated by Dr Bloomfield - then allow the fully vaccinated to travel through the border with proof of a negative test.
The EMA is New Zealand’s largest business lobby group and is part of the BusinessNZ Network in a territory spans the upper North Island.
165 Comments
Well I don't want to eat food prepared or served by someone who might have Covid-19 so in some industries it's basically going to be a huge selling point to be able to post a sign outside saying "All of our staff are vaccinated" right up there with fresh air dining, spaced out tables and good hygiene practices in terms of winning customer confidence. Similar to many other industries that require face-to-face contact or people consume goods from (be that abattoir or bakery.)
Events in Israel show that vaccinated people are now the majority with Covid so vaccination is no proof that the vaccinated will not transmit the virus. Pfizer acknowledge their spike protein injection fades 6 months after injection so the idea of a vaccination passport would require renewal 6 monthly.
The researchers found that vaccinated people with the Delta variant could have a viral load similar to those who had not received a vaccination.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/delta-infection-unvaccinated-…
The scientists showed that people who had had two doses of the vaccination had at least as much protection against the virus as people who had antibodies after having COVID-19. People who had developed antibodies after having the disease and received both vaccinations had even better protection. (but don't ask me about side effects of any of both options, it's a risk you'd need to consider individually based on the 'broad' spectrum of information available)
This comment epitomises the ignorance that infests the ivory towers of Wellington. I see it in my line of work plenty. It’s not the vaccine that the Pacific and Maori communities don’t trust, it’s the Crown. We are only a generation removed from the dawn raids and a couple more from colonisation. The relationship between these communities and the Crown have not been reconciled. Would you take a shot in the arm from an institution that marginalised your ancestors and near destroyed your identity?
If you don't look back to where the separation originated, you'll never understand how the 2 came apart in the first place and therefore not resolve it. And here we are now, with you calling those not vaccinated self important phalluses. That shows you do not understand the lack of trust between the Crown and some Kiwis, and you have no intention to.
Vaccination at 82% for the 65+ is not "well vaccinated" at all. They are the critical risk population, they need to be much closer to 100%.
That is a significant number of highly susceptible people unprotected. They will mess up our health service for everyone else.
It is up the communities to decided what is in their best interest. The urge to vaccine is not coming from the NZ government or the UK (the historical wrongdoers), but it is a global trend. Is not vacciniating themselves bad for them? if yes, then they are shooting themselves in the foot by refusing to vaccine (btw, to my understanding pacifica communities are by and large like other New Zealanders, if not slightly better).
Correct, no kids and with all the anti-smacking brigade running about good luck trying to teach your kids to behave these days. I shouldn't have to put up with someone else's kid screaming at the top of its lungs on the table right next to me in the cafe, take your kids to McDonalds.
Well Squishy you wont want you food prepared by any vaccinated person. Around 60% of vaccinated people get covid according to the Israeli data. Vaccinated covid patients don’t feel so sick so they got to work and spread it around. Maybe we should be banning vaccinated people from travel, cafes, restaurants, etc.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/126581490/covid19-whe…
OPINION: A recent TVNZ Colmar Brunton poll found that 61 per cent of respondents supported compulsory vaccination for all New Zealanders aged 18 and over. Thirty-five per cent said it should not be mandatory, with the rest undecided.
The majority have spoken, Kiwis want this, the politicians are just following the will of the mob, there will be very little debate and almost universal acceptance.
This is really irresponsible beyond comprehension by the media and the government! Every day that goes by with more of this divisive nonsense, will cause more severe issues, legal and social consequences for this are more massive than many realise.
I said this in another thread just earlier. If my grandfather and father would witness this, they would turn in their grave. Both having been forced to serve in WWII... both having witnessed other men with a gun, a real gun, to their head to make them go the fronts! Anyone who has their marbles even just half intact should stop now with their ill fated, psychotic crusades for mandatory vaccination and passports everywhere...
Many of our members draw their workforces from communities that have proved hard to reach in the current vaccination programme and this would be another way of reaching into those communities.
A nice way to write "force people to medicate by removing their livelihood".
The Pfizer vaccine efficacy for preventing infection drops to 50% after 6 months (by their own admission). So this is a commitment to constant "top-ups". For those that have bad reactions to this vaccine, that's not going to be pleasant.
OPINION: A recent TVNZ Colmar Brunton poll found that 61 per cent of respondents supported compulsory vaccination for all New Zealanders aged 18 and over. Thirty-five per cent said it should not be mandatory, with the rest undecided.
The reverse is true, the government is simply doing what the people want!
agreed - we nearly eliminated down to under 10 cases and only 2 active sub clusters before it hit the gangs and social housing -- now 12+ active sub-clusters and 40 infections a day rising -- Its been made clear the government blaming Maori, gangs, social housing occupants for all breaking lockdown guidelines- not the government for failing to treat those groups in the same way it treated the Pacifika community and whisk them all and their household contacts straight to MIQ -- instead of allowing home isolation! and not isolating close contacts.
Crying shame -- as we nearly eliminated it and the sacrifices our amazing
Just had a look at the MOH vaccine data (scroll down for the big colorful table).
The key question is: how to get Maori aged 19 to 34 to get vaccinated?
Any answers?
I agree it would be nice if they got vaccinated, but I don't think it's the end of the world.
They will spread the virus through our country much more quickly because they are mobile and many live in overcrowded situations, but they are unlikely to die or require hospitalisation.
It's the over 65's (of all demographics) that need a kick up the backside. 82% is Not Enough. The remaining unvaxxed in this demographic are going to overwhelm and stuff up our health system. They need to get their jabs asap.
... the " long Covid " after effects were enough to convince a needle cowardly custard like me to get jabbed ... and , its almost like a civic duty , a small thing each of us can do for the greater good ... same as a generation ago when polio & measles vaccines were first rolled out ....
Vaccine injuries don't seem to be reported as such, from what I've heard from friends and family abroad. I know someone personally who suffered a stroke hours after vaccine dose two. I understand that this is noted as a rare possible side effect. Doctor was insistent it was in no way connected to the vaccine.
I also see that heart disease is having an "unexplained" bump in parts of the UK. Meanwhile, Sweden is withdrawing the moderna vaccine for under 30s due to heart disease concerns.
I suspect there might be a slowly building wave of heart disease filling hospitals in the next year.
"We found no significant difference in cycle threshold values between vaccinated and unvaccinated, asymptomatic and symptomatic groups infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta.'
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.28.21264262v2
Well duh. Perhaps be less intellectually lazy and check out the authors before firing off the mis-infomation meme.
'Meet Joe DeRisi, the virus hunter who foresaw the Covid pandemic'
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/joe-derisi-virus-hunter-covid-us-mic…
'The Disease Detective
Joe DeRisi invented a way to find pathogens that scientists didn’t even know to look for. Can it help prevent the next pandemic?'
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/03/magazine/metagenomic-sequencing.html
I am uneasy with the mandatory vaccine passports I get that people should be vaccinated and support that but beauracrats having control of such a passport for every day use worries me . There is not likely to be buy in by the criminal element which will no doubt mean a portion of society will be exempt probably having a patch will give you exemption they have been able to waste billions of dollars already in elimination strategy to have it undone by a small number of people who care not for others , or even for their own people just their own illicit dealings .
"Those that can’t be vaccinated for medical, religious, or other reasons will have to apply for and carry a digital exemption and may have to wear masks and/or register for track and tracing - current policy at Level 3 - to be allowed in.'
Er, No. It is highly illogical to say there is a health risk and then allow exemptions for whatever reason. So what if you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing a mask. If, as they are arguing, you are a risk, that's it. You are in the same camp as those that are not vaccinated for whatever reason.
If exemptions are available, they are available for anyone that wants one, for whatever reason.
My concern is that people that can’t get vaccinated will be excluded and exemptions won’t be accepted. This has been happening with masks now. The vaccination certificate needs to be smart enough to know when to show an exemption vs when to show a tick and allow people to be treated as if they are vaccinated. We can’t have people losing their job for not receiving a medical treatment that they can’t have.
Yes that is concerning.
I saw an article on Reddit the other day about a woman in Christchurch who has a valid medical exemption from wearing a mask, who was turned away from having her car serviced.
Every comment was gleefully mocking her for not being able to participate in normal society (words to the effect of "who cares if you have an exemption, you're still a risk to others").
Valid exemptions need to be guaranteed the same level of access to society as a vaccinated person.
Agreed.
This is why I'm opposed to vaccine passports on a domestic basis (don't really care for international travel as countries should be free to set any condition they like on inbound visitors).
I am in favour of vaccination and think it's the right thing to do from a medical/health perspective, but I am vehemently opposed to creating a "two class" society on the basis of vaccine status ... especially for people who have genuine, valid reasons for not taking the vaccine (whether that is health-based, or religious).
I have no qualms in mixing with unvaccinated people, and refuse to treat them as second class citizens, end of story.
Agreed, but it is illogical to have a passport to supposedly protect people and then to allow exemptions so people can infect them. There is no use thing as a valid exemption under the logic that is being used.
But if we are into that type of thinking, how about we have compulsory passports, but with exemptions for all those that want them.
If I recall correctly from what family members there told me, the UK vax passport system (that never massively got off the ground for domestic purposes) functioned on that basis.
Basically anybody could request an exemption, and the exemption would be granted and still show you as being eligible for entry.
Question, for all those people who are saying compulsory vaccine passports for all hospitality, how do you feel about kids being in the establishment with you?
Do you want them banned from public life? Because if unvaccinated people are a real threat to you, that's the logical conclusion.
Or is your bravado all about hatred and a herd mentality, rather than safety?
It won’t be for under 5’s here any time soon. Being excluded because you can’t be vaccinated is a cruel thing to do. If we get vaccination rates up high enough the few that can’t be won’t be at as much risk. Think of it like disabled car parks or toilets. If everyone on can gets vaccinated, the people who can’t can be accommodated.
Thoughts on civic duty criteria.
1. The disease would have to present a serious enough threat to a large enough percentage of society.
2. The vaccine would have to be exceedingly safe.
3. The vaccine would have to provide real tangible benefit to the person receiving it beyond any shadow of doubt.
None of those criteria have been met IMHO. Therefore I do not regard it as my civic duty to take the vaccine.
Vaccinating children for something that does not affect them with a vaccine that still has and wont have long term trial results for many years is evil when it is essentially to save the asses of the old and the fat.
We do not throw our children under the bus for adults. Why is this different. Can anybody explain?
The article is contradictory in the first statement. The EMA is asking for the mandatory carrying of digital vaccine passports to enter the workplace, with digital exemptions and extra precautions applying to those who can’t or choose not to be vaccinated. So a passport is to be mandatory to enter a workplace, but staff can choose not to be vaccinated??
When push comes to shove most of the anti vaxxers will fold under pressure.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/nyregion/vaccine-health-care-workers…
Here's a novel idea:
Why doesn't the government lay out specific criteria that will see these passes dropped?
I.e. what % vaccine uptake (or other conditions) will see us dropping these measures as have been done in some European countries like Norway?
The old Roman Republic provides a good analogy for this.
In times of crisis, a magistrate could be appointed Dictator with incredible power. He could wield that power until the crisis was over or six months had passed (whichever came first). Even our ancient ancestors understood that there is a limit to "desperate times calling for desperate measures".
Before rolling out this vax passport make it unequivocal what the framework will be to drop it. Either specific conditions or a time limit, at which point the benefits/viability are to be re-assessed.
Otherwise all you will do is feed into the conspiracy theories that this is really about control ... and it's not hard to see why.
The EMA has lost it's sense of balance. They wish for "sacrifice for the common good". That's a communist agenda.
Or if you add sugar, that's "freedom from choice".
I thought business involves freedom. This man can no longer see for the blinkers obscuring his sight.
Lunatic. Do you actually have this vision that unvaccinated people wander around as permanently infected zombies? No - but at some point they will probably get it and recover, but then they have a better and more durable immunity than you!
Ironically it's the smug vaccinated who will be asymptomatically spewing it everywhere because they have no signal to stay at home.
Health protocols will tighten for anyone with flu-like symptoms, that's the answer.
No I’m just saying that businesses don’t have unlimited freedom as was implied. Businesses can’t cause a health risk. Whether unvaccinated are a risk is debatable; I certainly think they are right now in Auckland, maybe less so after the majority of us are vaccinated.
Why are we worried about the unvaccinated when its the job of the vaccine to protect people. If you are vaccinated you can still catch and spread the virus not much differently than an unvaccinated person. So I have to ask is this about health and safety or about control over the population? Its worth thinking about! Who knows what controls measure the Elites have planned for us next. This is our last chance to say no
Well at the moment we are worried about the unvaccinated as our health system would implode if they all got Covid right now. The idea being that once enough people have the vaccine then it might be ok to let the small number of unvaccinated out into the wild. But until then why also lock the vaccinated away?
It's pretty simple. Once COVID is endemic and there are daily death counts being announced instead of daily case counts, the vaccinated will want to avoid businesses staffed by those who are not.
I can see some companies having to shut down because they will not be able to insist on vaccinations, nor dismiss staff who refuse, nor be viable in the economy going forward.
The mandating of any medical procedure should only be imposed by the government. Having a business owner dictate who needs to be vaccinated when their main concern surrounds their business survivability and profit is blatantly wrong. Coercion of people usually leads to protest and violence. As for the idiot that said the unvaccinated will buckle. They might, but I wouldn’t want to eat food prepared by a person angry and disgruntled by forced vaccination. You are vaccinated, you are protected. Go away and enjoy your good health with that waning mRNA spike protein immunity.
i run a healthcare company -- front line 250 staff -- as much as i would love to have every single staff member fully vaccinated -- it is not goign to happen -- even if 10% of the workforce says no -- thats 25 staff i have to find that simply dont exist at the moment -
Do you think supermarkets and hospitality arent also thinking this way -- we simply cant shut out a load of people from work -- which will then go on benefits - as this government has shown no inclination to target benificiaries back into work -- its certainly not going to deny them a benefit if they don't get vaccinated
And FFS get teh bloody spell checker back !
Whats your approach to early treatments, medications to avoid a trip to hospital?
It seems hospitals need protection, so let's throw everything at avoiding a visit.
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/coronavirus-outbreak/vaccine-updates/stor…
The only narrative is as follows;
Covid is a frightening and lethal disease
If you survive it (miracle), long covid will severely nobble you
The only answer is vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate and vaccinate again.
Do not discuss the benefits of losing weight and getting healthy, taking vitamins D, C and zinc under any circumstance. None. Ever. Just zip the lips ok. Heres looking at you media people...Heather, Ryan, Marcus, Simon etc.
And if you ever say the word Ivomec. Well go home pack your bags and head for Timbuktoo. (Or perhaps Milton)
Laugh, smile, lie and lie again. Do not worry, noone will ask the hard questions. Just stick to the lie, and your 100% wage will keep rolling in. Unlike everyone else.
Ignore, obfuscate, derise, any suggestion that vaccinations are causing and could cause health problems.
Smother all media in pro vaccine propaganda. Do not let up. Not for one minute.
Troll all blogsites with pro vaccine trollsters.
Belittle any view other than pro vaccine, name and shame these people with a label (Antivaxxer)
Restrict social media. Get the majors on board and delete delete delete.
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