Guy Hatchard: The Grim Covid Industry

Lincoln National, America’s third largest insurance company has announced a 163% increase in death benefits in 2021 paid out under its group life insurance scheme which primarily covers working age 18-64 year olds.

Lincoln National attributes its consequent operating losses to “non-pandemic-related morbidity”. In other words a lot of people are becoming seriously ill and it is not due to Covid infection.

Back here in New Zealand, Stuff reported yesterday:

Barry Soper: Why there was no point sticking around for Ashley Bloomfield

Sounding like the politician he's become, the country's most famous public servant Ashley Bloomfield on Wednesday announced he was standing aside to spend more time with his family.

But like all announcements of that sort, there's much more to it than that.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who at times privately had a fractious relationship with the Covid-19 custodian, laid it on with a trowel, saying she had come to know the director general of health probably better than any other public servant, and describing him as a true servant of the public.

Bloomfield's resignation would have come as no surprise to Ardern though - it is understood she had been privately confiding, since late last year, that he'd be unlikely to serve out his contract which ends midway through next year.