Dear Editor, talk about putting out a message that is guaranteed to get some backlash from social media (‘We are ready, prepared and protected’, January 11, 2022).

Unfortunately, it appears that TMO (Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health) are wholly underprepared for the borders opening judging by the adverse comments across Facebook.

Consider that TMO are training lay people to stick a cotton bud probe up one’s nose to collect a sample for viral analysis. Can anyone see what is patently wrong with doing this. Lay people are not experts, this practice is not easy even for expert medical staff and yet, TMO want you to be personally involved. It is either a feel-good thing, a matter of poor TMO resourcing or someone’s had a brain explosion and want to put the responsibility on lay people.

Who will take responsibility and accountability if an incident occurs or a medical mishap raises its head? Have they thought about this? For all those who think this is a good idea well sorry about it nah.

The closing of the hospital and Outpatients and five of 10 Puna as reported how does that go down with us all. RAT (Rapid Antigen Test) packs are going to be made available, yeh good one.

There are only two options when the virus gets here and it will, and option 1. if everyone follows the rules, the outcome is manageable and option 2. if everyone decides intentionally or unintentionally not to follow the rules then the outcome will be unmanageable. Human nature will come to the fore as people have in the past absconded from isolation.

TMO’s biggest headache is misinformation and misinterpretation from their staff even when they have been given the process and protocols to follow. Now escalate that to businesses and their staff also giving misinformation and misinterpreting from staff briefings and you get the picture.

Mass preparation trainings country wide for the opening of the border should have been spearheaded by TMO months ago to help businesses and individuals get themselves onto a war footing to deal with ‘what if’ scenarios when the borders open.

What do we get? Platitudes and words of preparedness masquerading as, trust us, we got this.

Te Tuhi Kelly

(Facebook)

Let’s go Cook Islands, we got this Rarodise. Let’s get ready and show the world that we lasted this long without Covid, now we going to show them how to manage it if it does arrive our shores.

It is the new norm and with God’s grace, we will continue our lives as safe as we can vaccinated or not, and with the virus here or not. Is all in God’s hands, we just need to believe in it.

Pa Matapo

(Facebook)