Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’

Perhaps it’s time for “Little Churches”

Thursday, December 5th, 2024
little churches

A Wellington parish priest is calling into question the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s decision to limit the number of people in churches to ten people. – Originally reported 11 May, 2020. “It is strange that bars and restaurants can open but churches are limited to just ten people”, said Fr Pete Roe the Parish Administrator Read more

Police interrupt Mass for mask check

Thursday, December 5th, 2024
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West Australian police’s interruption of a Catholic Mass last week for a mask check – to ensure compliance – has left parishioners concerned and Perth’s archbishop looking for a better way forward. – Originally published 10 February 2022. St Bernadette’s Catholic Church in Mount Hawthorn, Perth had to stop the Mass after a police officer Read more

Is the Church in decline?

Monday, October 21st, 2024
Church

Is the Church in decline? Some might draw that conclusion looking at data from the 2023 census. Reporting the results, one media headline said, “More than half the population has no religion”. It went on saying that the proportion of people with ‘no religion’ has increased from 48.2 per cent in 2018 to 51.6 per Read more

Mental health among youth a growing concern since COVID-19

Thursday, October 17th, 2024
mental health

Since the COVID-19 crisis, there have been increasing concerns about the deterioration of mental health among teenagers and young adults. From surveys to reports, the statistics on young people’s mental health seem to depict a generation in distress—sad, anxious and discouraged. Professor Ludovic Gicquel, head of the child and adolescent psychiatry department at Laborit Hospital Read more

Former NSW Premier slams COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Thursday, August 8th, 2024
vaccine mandates

Former New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has strongly opposed the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, labeling them “wrong”. The retiring politician, a Catholic, made the claim during a valedictory speech on Tuesday, reflecting on the government’s response to the pandemic. He suggested that the enforcement of the vaccine mandates impinged on individual freedoms. “If the impact Read more

Global life expectancy slumped but NZs stayed up

Thursday, March 21st, 2024
life expectancy

Covid-19 and life expectancy made bad partners in most countries during the pandemic. The virus made global life expectancy fall. Except that is in New Zealand, Australia and a few other countries. Here and in those places, the long-standing trend of people living longer continues. The pandemic’s toll About 15.9 million deaths have been attributed Read more

Vaccines saved thousands of lives during Omicorn

Monday, February 12th, 2024

A recent study highlighted the significant impact of Covid-19 vaccines in New Zealand, notably reducing deaths and hospitalisations during the Omicron phase. Published in Vaccine, the research estimates vaccines averted 4,000 to 12,000 deaths and 34,000 to 56,000 hospitalisations within 18 months from January 2022. However, among the highlighted outcomes were the disparities in health Read more

National data shows US students still ‘stalled’ after pandemic

Monday, July 17th, 2023

A new national survey shows students in the United States are still struggling to make up learning loss experienced over the course of the COVID-19 crisis. The report this week from NWEA examined test scores from nearly 7 million elementary and middle school students in about 20,000 public schools around the US. The researchers found Read more

Low attendance at NZ Catholic schools a pressing concern

Thursday, July 13th, 2023
low attendance nz catholic schools

“The ongoing issue of low attendance in NZ Catholic schools is a pressing concern” says Dr Kevin Shore, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office (NZCEO). “Student success is vital. It opens doors to life’s best opportunities and allows school graduates to contribute positively to society,” Shore told CathNews. Acknowledging that the factors Read more

School attendance levels may never return to normal

Monday, July 10th, 2023
wagging school

There is a risk that school attendance levels will not return to their pre-pandemic norm, says head of New South Wales Catholic schools, Dallas McInerney. He wants an inquiry into the long-term consequences of shutting down schools during the pandemic. In a speech to school leaders last week, McInerney said he had argued to keep Read more