Is a national security response to the next pandemic warranted? Ashley Bloomfield thinks so

Summarised by Centrist

Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Professor David Murdoch, two of New Zealand’s top COVID responders, are advocating for the government to treat pandemics as national security threats rather than just health concerns. 

Bloomfield and Murdoch argue that COVID’s economic, social, and health impacts justify a “whole-of-government” response led by the National Security Group in the Prime Minister’s Department. 

They cite the closure of businesses, school disruptions, and supply chain breakdowns as proof that pandemics pose a serious national security risk. Bloomfield and Murdoch warn of a “cycle of panic and neglect” but does the push for national security involvement blur the lines between genuine security threats and public health management? 

Read more over at RNZ and The NZ Herald

Image: Corporal Naomi James