BS: new zealand and covid 19

Subject: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: The Sandman
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 12:01 PM

Only one death out of a population of 5 million , what can we learn from this

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 01:06 PM

The count has doubled to two today. The U.K. is around eight thousand now. What we can learn is that Jacinda Ardern is a considerably better leader, and has considerably more courage, than Boris Johnson.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 01:18 PM

Slightly smaller population in NZ I believe. We have no deaths in Orkney, or Lewis. It might be something to do with smaller numbers, and lower densities.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Neil D
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 01:18 PM

- Progressive PM Jacinda Ardern has shown herself to be a quite capable       leader in crisis. Something that I here in the US quite envy.
- At the beginning of March, when Trump was still in total denial, NZ began 14 day quarantines for anyone entering the country.
` On March 19, when our leadership here was just beginning to rouse from its slumber, NZ completely closed its borders. (Of course, this is much easier to do for an island nation a thousand miles from anywhere.)
- A strong stay at home recommendation from the government early.
- Social distancing order in effect by March 23.
- New Zealanders (including immigrants) have also received recurring payments from the government designed to make it easier to people to avoid working. Again as a US citizen let me emphasize the word recurring.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 02:26 PM

The US is a failed federal society. It will be a failed state when looting begins. Corruption is from the top down.

No federal stay at home policy. No plans for testing. No head of state except for a narcissist weaponized ego that refuses any respondsibility and thinks he can lie his way out of lies.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: robomatic
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 03:46 PM

I've been to NZ and always paid attention to NZ and Kiwis. I have been following NZ's Covid 19 experience including just a few minutes ago before I logged in to Mudcat. Good going.

While I believe PM Ardern is a good leader for NZ on this and other issues, calling her a superior responder to the Covid19 challenge to Trump is setting her a rather low bar.

NZ is quite different in travel ways and population to the US. Furthermore she is going into Fall and Winter while we north of 'the line' are going Spring and Summer. I hope NZ has successfully quelled the pandemic but we're still rather early in the whole affair.

I'm also paying attention to the chosen course the Swedes have taken. Alone in Europe they have not gone the shelter in place of the rest of the west. So far so good for them. I wish them well as well.

To all you Kiwis: Best wishes unconditionally! From an old marmite eater and Fred Dagg fan.
And how is Australia doing?

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Gurney
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 05:08 PM

Thank you for your good wishes, folk!
The other advantage we have here is a Health Service modelled on the British one, which means effectively free from cost in such circumstances. And effective, too.
However, there are plenty of unbelievers on the beaches and having parties, still, so watch this space.
The majority of cases, just, are connected with foreign travel.

Chris in NZ.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Apr 20 - 06:15 PM

If Sandman was serious as to what NZ should do, Test everyone in contact with patient 0 and track/quarantine. China and the US were late and are paying dearly for playing catch up. New treayments will not be available for some time. It sounds like NZ has good leadership and will socially isolate from the start. Singapore did everything right except allowing isolation to end too soon.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Neil D
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 01:16 AM

Gurney said "The other advantage we have here is a Health Service modelled on the British one, which means effectively free from cost in such circumstances. And effective, too."

All of the countries who have dealt well with the pandemic, S. Korea, Taiwan and NZ all have universal healthcare. Something I despair of ever seeing here.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 03:53 AM

Robomatic - Our national broadcaster has constant covid19 updates & stories    Charting the COVID-19 spread in Australia - updated daily since 17th March

Here in my apartment on the edge of Sydney CBD I go out daily for a bit of a walk to buy the paper & a few groceries, the rest of the time I read, scan & blog archives of my folk club, sew, do on-line jigsaws & real (paper) crosswords, sort stuff, phone & email friends & I even vacuumed recently! I also collect interesting on-line stuff for members to do until we can have live music & dances & gatherings again!

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: The Sandman
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 03:56 AM

Donuel , I am not in charge. I suggest you reread the original post , there is nothing about what NZ should do,my post was
Only one death out of a population of 5 million , what can we learn from this?
more about what they HAVE DONE ALREADY, and what everyone else can learn from them for example ireland has a population of 4 million, but has had more deaths 287, of course the uk government allowed cheltenham horse race to meet, that did not help, but perhaps the irish government should have prevented travel earlier and introduced a lockdown earlier.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 03:59 AM

Surely in NZ, and indeed everywhere else in the World apart from China, all cases are "connected with foreign travel"? (5.08 PM, 10thApril)

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Jim Martin
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 06:33 AM

In spite of all the restrictions here in Ireland it beggars belief that people can still travel in and out of the country at will without any check for the dreaded lurgy!

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 08:22 AM

Thanks for correcting my mental myopia, TRAVEL is the #1 accessory to murder.
However all pandemics begin with only 1 case.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Gurney
Date: 11 Apr 20 - 08:38 PM

An Buachaill Caol Dubh, the disease has travelled with journeyers, here to NZ as everywhere, and we did get advance warning from world news. There is a time advantage in being 2000m from anywhere.

There may also be less virulent strains. There are people with no symptoms who have tested positive.

Here, we are living in 'bubbles' and are discouraged from being less than 2m/6ft from other humans, and even from touching other 'bubbles' pets. Police are stopping cars and questioning travel purposes, and the only shops open are supermarkets and pharmacies.
Even other food shops are closed.
Fortunately for the solo people, 'buddy bubbles' are acceptable.

It is a worry how many businesses will survive these times, if and when we ever get past them.    Stay healthy.   Chris.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 12 Apr 20 - 01:33 AM

@Gurney,   Thanks for responding, and so thoroughly. As someone wrote on another thread somewhere, with reference to the "Spanish Flu" after the Great War, the extent and significance of international travel is much greater now. As people are saying quite often now, "keep well". Good Luck. ABCD.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Apr 20 - 05:48 AM

It might be something to do with smaller numbers, and lower densities.

And getting ahead of the curve. Aukland and Wellington are pretty large cities, so isolation is just as important as anywhere. Though what I remember of Wellington, housing is spread out more.

My nieces seem to have been on lock-down pretty much soon as we did in the UK. Their husbands are both self-employed so I do worry. But the news seems to be of playfulness at home, DIY and in one case working from home with weekly visits to the office.

The Saturday Telegrope showed a family tree of COVID-19 and it says that OZ & NZ are carrying the same strain as Europe which is distinct from China. Though the article seems to be hurried with grammatical errors. And in one case the reasoning confounded me, so poorly worded (I say in all modesty!). Working from home has its flaws.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Mr Red
Date: 30 Apr 20 - 04:06 AM

Telegrope yesterday was warning that in the northern hemisphere the second wave would come in the winter because these infection normally show a seasonal variation. & 2 coronaviruses cause what we refer to as the common cold (other viruses are available).

And NZ is heading for winter and have not lifted restrictions yet. Second wave is coming, Kiwis. She won't be right MATE!

I am sure Ms Ardern is well aware of this. She didn't bury her head in the sand first time round.

Meanwhile Kiwis can order G&Ts for home delivery from a brand called Lock Down - Bottoms up!

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: vectis
Date: 30 Apr 20 - 09:07 PM

I now live in NZ and am so glad and thankful that I do. I was on the "wrong" island when the lockdown started but the ferry companies got us all home in a few days.

NZ has the advantage that after the 1919 pandemic they wrote laws that could be swiftly enacted whenever a pandemic hit. These were re-written after the SARS outbreak but not needed at the time, thankfully.

The country has done this before, most notably in 1948 when all children were put into isolation to stop a polio epidemic.

One problem, as it turned out, was that tourists were supposed to self=isolate for 14 days on arrival in the country but THEY DID NOT DO AS THEY HAD PROMISED and spread the bloody plague around. In the end we had to stop trusting people and put the lockdown in place. There is only one case in the country with an unknown origin and that could be linked to a visiting cruise ship without the patient knowing where s/he picked it up.

Now I am about to drive the 10 mins to the beach for my first shoreline walk in over a month.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand and covid 19
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 30 Apr 20 - 10:14 PM

thanks for the info, vectis

enjoy your walk