Watch: Patrick Gower is calling on the Government to seal the border. Credit: Image - Getty; Video - The Project

OPINION: I am nervous and worried about the border - it is way too loose, and clearly our weakest link in the fight against COVID-19. I just don’t understand why we aren’t fully quarantining all the Kiwis that come home from countries full of coronavirus. Those returning should all face 14 days of monitored quarantine so we can be sure they won’t infect the rest of us. We need a proper seal on the border, rather than the current "honesty box" policy in which the highest risk people promise to go home and self-isolate.

We are making all these sacrifices for the lockdown - and it is clearly working. But why should people lose their business, their jobs and their family connections if it could all be ruined by someone slipping through the border? All our efforts could go to waste because the Government won't put in relatively minor controls. As we move towards ending the lockdown, a sealed border is even more important. We could then focus on stamping out the COVID-19 that is here, knowing that no more is coming in. Surely New Zealand's goal right now is to be the only developed country that is fully operational internally during the pandemic.

Sure, the economy wouldn't have international tourism - but we would have a society where people could go out as normal and work and spend money. Our health system wouldn't be at risk, we'd be healthy, we'd be exporting - and most importantly we would be happy. I am not talking about putting people on Somes Island here. A two-week monitored quarantine in a hotel or Top 10 motor camp with wifi and groceries delivered is a small sacrifice for those coming home. They will be so happy to be here that they couldn't care less. We know from the data that the biggest cause of COVID-19 in New Zealand is overseas travel. But when a Kiwi comes home, we rely on their honesty: they fill in a form, answer some questions, and if they have a self-isolation plan they can get in a car and drive off. If they live further away, they can get a plane. It is plain crazy, but over 3600 people have done it already.