The Tribune

It started with a scratchy throat.

That was the only symptom that Police Sergeant Nathaniel Bailey experienced at first. Both he and his sister Alicia felt that itch in their throat earlier this month. It ended with both Sgt Bailey and his mother, Blyth Bailey, losing their lives to COVID-19, a day apart from one another.

At least six members of the Bailey family tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks, while other members of the family had symptoms.

That’s how quickly a family has been forever changed by this virus that continues to spread through our country.

Neither Sgt Bailey nor his mother had been vaccinated, and Alicia said the family didn’t have the money to get everyone tested for COVID.

Blyth Bailey died on Saturday, her son a day later. Blyth went from having dance parties with her grandkids to struggling to breathe. She didn’t want to go to the hospital, and when she finally did, she collapsed on the porch and was pronounced dead that day.

Other members of the family have been in and out of the hospital, with Alicia saying: “It isn’t just get better and done. You will relapse every other day. You will feel better then your condition deteriorates. The nights are always the worst with fevers and constant sweating.”

The family had tried to get appointments for vaccinations, but say the appointments had been taken already, in the period when the vaccines were out of stock.

We cannot imagine the heartbreak the Bailey family is experiencing. The family is mourning at the same time as fighting through the illness and its effects.

There are lessons to be learned, we hope, for how the country deals with this illness. People should not be left worrying about the cost of a test when the difference could be their lives. We should find ways to test those who are suspected of having COVID without them worrying whether they have the dollars in their pocket to pay for it.

Elsewhere, there is news today that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine. It was previously given emergency use authorisation, but the full approval is the final step in the process and a further reassurance of the safety of the vaccine. Other vaccines are also going through that process. For those who have safety fears, it is one more reassurance.

But perhaps the words to listen to most are those of Alicia Bailey, who has seen this virus come far too close to home, and left her family reeling from its consequences.

“There is no ifs, and buts or maybes about it. Absolutely get vaccinated. So many people have died in the past week, this past month, you absolutely must get vaccinated.”

Listen to the voice of experience, and pray you never have to go through the same. And pray for the Bailey family, and for Blyth and for Nathaniel. COVID is exacting a heavy toll on us all.

Virtual schools

Given the high numbers of COVID cases in the country, the announcement that schools would at least start off with virtual learning is no surprise.

Education Minister Jeff Lloyd has warned that if infection rates continue to climb, it will likely remain so for the year.

Safety first is the right approach. As of yet, there are no vaccines for children under 12, and the rollout for young people over 12 has really only just begun.

Beyond that, schools are not just the children, but the teachers, the staff, and all the many ways in which a school connects with parents and the community around it. It is the safety of all of those people that must be considered.

Virtual learning is not easy. Listen to parents and they will tell you the struggles many children have had in the past year. For children, it’s hard to be stuck behind a screen, trying to pay attention, and with little opportunity to play with their friends to relax and get away from being stuck at home.

We hope that if we do start to see decreased case numbers that face-to-face learning can resume – when it is safe. Until then, it gives the schools extra time to make sure the campuses are ready for the return of students. We urge the ministry, and schools, to make the most of that time.