The announcement today from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of our nation’s move to Red comes a bit sooner than expected.

We all knew this was coming, although the news that we are moving to red on the traffic light system from tonight at 11.59pm was a bit sooner than I hoped or expected.

For around 94% of people over the age of 12 in Central Otago, very little will change. This is not a lockdown. Businesses and schools will remain open and there are no additional travel restrictions.

Having said that; there will be limits on the size of gatherings and maintaining social distancing at gatherings.  This means things are going to get even tougher for some of our hospitality and events people; and we all know that these are the folk that for the most part this pandemic has hit the hardest.

What the move to red really indicates is that Omicron is coming to Central, if indeed it isn’t already here. 

I for one am acting as if it is already here. That has included making sure we have a plan at home for if/when one of us catches the illness.

For some in our community, those with underlying medical conditions or with loved ones who have such issues, this is a particularly stressful time. There will also be some in our community again wondering if their jobs are safe or if their businesses will survive.  And there will be others who are wondering what this means to their chances of seeing loved ones overseas as soon as they would like.

And the change announced today is going to make it harder on those in our community who have chosen to, or are unable to, be vaccinated. Whichever side of that ledger you sit on, let’s treat each other with the respect and kindness that every human being deserves and not let the difficult position we find ourselves in divide us.

We are one week away from the two-year anniversary of the World Health Organisation declaring Covid 19 a global health emergency. They have been a long, hard two years; although we need to remind ourselves that, for our nation, they have not been as hard or as tragic as for most others.

But for now, it is time again to remember that everyone in Central has their own feelings, fears and worries about where things are at at present and that this announcement is going to ramp that up for many. 

Now, more than ever, is the time for friendship, kindness and understanding.