To be shocked at how normal everything looks in New Zealand?

[GoldenLabbie]

Huge crowds seeing the New Year. No masks, no social distancing. You wouldn’t know that the rest of the world is in the grip of a pandemic looking at those scenes. How did we manage to get it so wrong but they got it so right? When you look at that you realise how the rest have screwed up so badly don’t you? I wonder what they make of all?

Jasjas if we had exited issue in same way as NZ after first peak I really think we would build similar narrative about going on strong and compliant. Same sort of stuff that is being said below by NZ posters.

We were no worse than NZ in first wave but now the narrative is non compliant etc because we got very low but not zero.

We are in a mess now but everyone who is in the same place is battling the virus and huge economic concerns. And healthcare situation.

I also agree with pp that new variant is last thing we need as tier 3/ 4 was working.

*The UK is an island.

An ISLAND. Like NZ.*

@grassisjeweled No, it's not.

Northern Ireland borders Republic of Ireland with free movement between the two.

They have proper leadership.

Easier to manage borders, smaller population, not a major transport hub or financial centre.

NZ had the good fortune to be remote and have a decent PM at least in this regard, she's not perfect (no such thing as a perfect politician)

I wish I lived in New Zealand. I'm sick of people making excuses for the failure of our government to act quickly and decisively.

Just wondering how many of those making these excuses also voted Brexit. Are we so reliant on our neighbours or not.

@VQ1970 has described it perfectly. I’m in guernsey too and you wouldn’t know covid even existed if you were here with us.

No social distancing, no masks, no restrictions it’s wonderful. A big factor was community compliance. We are 60,000 people and we pulled together, obeyed the lockdown and worked towards the common cause. In the U.K. sadly it seems even in April many were ignoring the restrictions.

It would never work without a community effort but my god are we reaping the rewards now!

@MorganKitten

They have proper leadership.

I could make a good stab at leading NZ.

[quote Insertfunnyname]@VQ1970 has described it perfectly. I’m in guernsey too and you wouldn’t know covid even existed if you were here with us.

No social distancing, no masks, no restrictions it’s wonderful. A big factor was community compliance. We are 60,000 people and we pulled together, obeyed the lockdown and worked towards the common cause. In the U.K. sadly it seems even in April many were ignoring the restrictions.

It would never work without a community effort but my god are we reaping the rewards now![/quote]
Oh please stop with the ‘we complied’ shite.

@Kiwiinparis, absolutely, I have the same pride in our country. I think they did very well, they maximised the potential benefits of their resources to the best possible advantage, and to be honest, I think the leadership was focussed on the right metrics and motivations which meant it was more likely to bear the desired outcomes.

@blacksax

We could have shut our borders, but for how long? We need freight for supplies for so many people.

Air freight - pilots and aircrew fly in, isolate in secure accommodation, and then fly out again whence they came.

Sea cargo - containers are lifted off the ship by cranes onto the dockside. Ship's company remains on board.

Lorries on ferries - arriving drivers isolate in secure accommodation while their lorries are emptied and the loads transferred, drivers get their lorry back and return on the ferry.

Freight is easy.

Exactly... it really is not that difficult...manage the freight ( FFS that Dover farce made me cry )

As for passengers coming and going via airports for leisure with no proper quarantine in government designated hotels like sensible countries- I despair ...

I blame the inept government for what I have stated above .

No one honestly wants to hear my opinion on the many individuals who are having Hogmanay parties tonight ...
Selfish irresponsible people... I blame the entitled idiots themselves for any consequences that result from these piss ups . I don’t blame the government for that .... these party goers are intelligent people with responsible jobs who do know better but are being selfish and reckless.

@Therarestone

I wish I lived in New Zealand. I'm sick of people making excuses for the failure of our government to act quickly and decisively.

Just wondering how many of those making these excuses also voted Brexit. Are we so reliant on our neighbours or not.

I voted remain but it’s not about defending decisions. Some were bad.

I don’t mind if people want to say UK hasn’t done well just apply some sense and choose comparable countries to put us up against.

@GoldenLabbie

I’m astonished that foreign travel has been allowed. Unless it’s absolutely essential then people shouldn’t have been allowed to leave the country. I just couldn’t believe how many people thought it was acceptable to still go on holiday abroad this year. Surely people can forgo a foreign holiday for one year?

The problem is, what do you count as "absolutely essential"?

@EarringsandLipstick

Huge country, small population, significantly dispersed, and it's about a 3 hour flight to anyone.

Of course they can do it - no-one can get in or out.

It's not comparable with eg Europe

Yes. They are a tiny population overall in a huge space. In some areas your nearest neighbour is 20miles away. For the best because NZ is also, overall, not a wealthy country or highly education - a lot of people probably wouldn’t have been followed a strict lockdown.

Yes I agree Marsha, i firmly believe that once Johnson excused Cummings, we made a rod for our own backs, from then on, we stopped compiling.
We then had a succession of initiatives to get the economy going, ignoring the fact CV was still in circulation.

TBF i don't care about what other countries do, i live in the UK and want us to have low infections, whats happening now is very scary, 55k infections, highest ever hospitalisations and almost 1000 deaths per day and all rising... just 1/2 way through winter.

@GrumpyHoonMain WTAF??!

Completely agree OP. And the apologists on this thread are just letting politicians of the hook when they should be demanding better of them. Covid could have been extinguished if we had better leaders, not just in the UK but globally (although Johnson and Co have been stand out failures).

@GrumpyHoonMain lol 😂 yes you sit there and think that you know what NZ is like. According to you we didn’t follow the lockdown, but here we are with all of our freedoms in place. Wonder how that works in your head 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Kendodd

Completely agree OP. And the apologists on this thread are just letting politicians of the hook when they should be demanding better of them. Covid could have been extinguished if we had better leaders, not just in the UK but globally (although Johnson and Co have been stand out failures).

I wish people who thought it that easy would run for the a job or something. I mean at least had the foresight to be in the right position.

It’s very easy to type anything really but at least don’t let the bias make it difficult to see clearly at all.

@jasjas1973

Yes I agree Marsha, i firmly believe that once Johnson excused Cummings, we made a rod for our own backs, from then on, we stopped compiling. We then had a succession of initiatives to get the economy going, ignoring the fact CV was still in circulation.

TBF i don't care about what other countries do, i live in the UK and want us to have low infections, whats happening now is very scary, 55k infections, highest ever hospitalisations and almost 1000 deaths per day and all rising... just 1/2 way through winter.

I know it’s awful right now. And it wouldn’t be so bad without this new variant on top. Tier 4 London and I’m feeling it.

covid case counts in Tokyo alone, today.

Taiwan is nervous.

@mbosnz 100% agree! It’s astounding to me though the amount of people out there who have got their backs up because of where we are now. Funny how jealousy can make some people act that way

South Korea in its 3rd wave.

point I'm trying to make is that NZ is very unusual. If the covid-control formula was that easy, then Japan, Malta, Iceland, Indonesia, tiny island states east of Indonesia, whole Carribean -- would have done same.

I know it’s awful right now. And it wouldn’t be so bad without this new variant on top. Tier 4 London and I’m feeling it

Yes its terrible, we ve been a bubble of tranquility, until xmas eve T1 not T3 - take care.
My aunt is 93 and in essex, i worry about her, she had a fall but refused to go to AE because of the risk of CV, is now home but in great pain.
no vaccine offer yet.

Your comparing apple and pears .
UK densely populated but most of all we won't do as we are told and complelty ristant to restrictions .

Oh the biggest problem is LOADS OF PEOPLE DON'T GIVE A FUCK.