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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

999 replies

GoldenLabbie · 31/12/2020 14:55

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?

OP posts:
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MarshaBradyo · 02/01/2021 11:41

@NotBadConsidering

That’s crazy I’m afraid. You need to consider location and timing and virus.

But it’s a simple fact that the vast majority of the world has managed Covid significantly better than the UK. Barring those obvious countries, so much of the rest of the world (location) took action (timing) at the right time with the same disease (SARS-CoV2 virus) and have saved lives. So to dismiss the actions of virtually all countries around the world apart from maybe 10 is crazy.

New Zealand’s numbers may not have been possible achieve. But NZ just more starkly exemplifies how swift action, decisive leadership, respect for science and care of its citizens helped saved lives. This thread could have been about any of the hundred plus countries who have done better. And it could have been about any of the comparable countries for population, busyness, transit, arrivals, whatever.

The sooner the UK wakes up to the fact you’ve been completely utterly shafted the better. It saddens me that such a country accepts such poor standards of care and leadership.

Honestly don’t be. We don’t need it.

I know our situation and can see clearly Italy, NYC, Spain etc have suffered too. I don’t feel the need to tell them they’ve been shafted - why would I?

Yet we do get a lot of focus for some reason

jasjas1973 · 02/01/2021 11:41

what are your thoughts on timing of lockdown for North? Was it too early?

No point locking down certain areas of the UK, if you then allow travel in and out of those areas.
People from Leicester using pubs in Nottingham.

People travelling down to T1/2 from T3/4 areas, unlimited travel to exercise, check out the list of exemptions for t4 travel... quite extensive!

My company send engineers around the country to shops (JD Sports) and stores (Morrisons) offices (DWP).... and have done throughout the pandemic, little PPE, no testing.

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 02/01/2021 11:41

@NotBadConsidering you also still can't grasp how badly in general europe has fared and why that may be a factor with the uk
None of us have all the answers yet and it will take years
Have there been fuck up yes of course but some honestly think we could of done exactly as nz have which we can't not many countries have achieved what new zealand have

NotBadConsidering · 02/01/2021 11:43

Yes, France and Italy are just as bad. It this was French Mumsnet I’d be telling them. But Spain is doing much better. Look at the comparison of deaths. Why has Spain learnt its lesson?

To be shocked at how normal everything looks in New Zealand?
To be shocked at how normal everything looks in New Zealand?
donewithitalltodayandxmas · 02/01/2021 11:44

@EileenGc you think italy are laughing or belgium or spain some who have a higher death rate and other not far behind

chomalungma · 02/01/2021 11:44

No point locking down certain areas of the UK, if you then allow travel in and out of those areas.People from Leicester using pubs in Nottingham

It seems that all the good work of a lockdown can easily be undone in just a few weeks.

Alondra · 02/01/2021 11:44

Such bigoted comments on here. Is it jealousy, are we really great after all grin

I give up. It's your country after all. Whatever mistakes you make, you'll be the one paying for them.

nolongersurprised · 02/01/2021 11:44

My company send engineers around the country to shops (JD Sports) and stores (Morrisons) offices (DWP).... and have done throughout the pandemic, little PPE, no testing.

In Victoria today there have been 7 new cases. I live in another state and have been contacted by work saying that I can’t come back until I have been tested and have a proven negative result.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 02/01/2021 11:44

'The UK is Europe's (and probably the world's) laughing stock at the moment due to how badly the pandemic has been handled there.'

Yes course we are. Meanwhile most intelligent people recognise this serious tragic situation isn’t a laughing matter and individual countries situations are down to individual variables not a 'legend' of a leader.

It isn't the eurovision song contest you know.

Aixenprovence · 02/01/2021 11:44

"As you say eradication was not possible we agree."

I have to admit I'm still not sure why! So, if at the beginning of February we had done an Aus/NZ travel ban, including road freight. By then I expect it was very prevalent, but we hadn't had the half term returners from Europe, which would have had some effect? Obviously a lockdown would have taken longer than in NZ and Aus to reduce the numbers to track and traceable - but theoretically eventually it would have got to that level, wouldn't it? Is it that the costs - food shortages, med shortages, etc, would have been too high?

Not saying I think the UK govt can be blamed for not doing it - the scientific advisers didn't advise it. And in fact as I remember EU was very critical of US when it imposed the ban on arrivals from Europe. But I think for the future it would be interesting to consider whether it would have been worth it. Though the next crisis may of course be something quite different!

jasjas1973 · 02/01/2021 11:45

Yet we do get a lot of focus for some reason

...because we've an idiot PM who makes statements like "World beating, send this virus packing, 5 days of xmas, back to normal by 5th April etc etc etc....."

These get reported ..... and laughed at.

He and the others never apologise, it would go along way.

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 02/01/2021 11:45

@NotBadConsidering spain do not have the new variant in great numbers ( hopefully ) so that will help but per capita they are just behind on. Deaths by a very small amount so its not good news there either
I hope for them they keep there numbers low and keep it out

nolongersurprised · 02/01/2021 11:46

I live in another state and have been contacted by work saying that I can’t come back until I have been tested and have a proven negative result.

Sorry pressed too soon - if I have travelled from that area since before Christmas

MarshaBradyo · 02/01/2021 11:46

The UK is Europe's (and probably the world's) laughing stock at the moment due to how badly the pandemic has been handled there.'

Did you laugh at scenes from Italy and NYC too or just U.K.?

NotBadConsidering · 02/01/2021 11:46

Yet we do get a lot of focus for some reason

Because Mumsnet isn’t full of New Yorkers and Spaniards pretending life ain’t so bad. And as above, Spain has learnt its lesson and is dealing with it better.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 02/01/2021 11:47

'But Spain is doing much better. Look at the comparison of deaths. Why has Spain learnt its lesson?'

Different stages of the pandemic...for the trillionth time look at worldometers for per capita data.

MarshaBradyo · 02/01/2021 11:48

@NotBadConsidering

Yet we do get a lot of focus for some reason

Because Mumsnet isn’t full of New Yorkers and Spaniards pretending life ain’t so bad. And as above, Spain has learnt its lesson and is dealing with it better.

We don’t need your thinking on it. Really we know the situation. Feel free to help other countries in this way
donewithitalltodayandxmas · 02/01/2021 11:48

@EileenGc we were not only country in europe that was allowing xmas mixing but other countries aren't reported as much
I don't think most geniune people are laughing at us and the deaths we have , certainly not usa , italy , spain etc

JustDanceAddict · 02/01/2021 11:48

Loads of reasons as stated above.
But generally I blame the govt for not acting quickly enough at the start, plus all the Covidiots.

nolongersurprised · 02/01/2021 11:48

not a 'legend' of a leader.

As discussed upthread, how do you think Boris would have managed the pandemic as NZ PM? Do you think the particularly vulnerable populations in South Auckland (Maori, Pacific Island, closely packed cold houses, overweight, high prevalence of type 2 diabetes) would have done as well under his leadership. The virus was in NZ with Jacinda locked down

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 02/01/2021 11:49

@notbadconsidering what are spain doing so different ? Have they shut there borders ?

NotBadConsidering · 02/01/2021 11:49

Why is the new variant rampant in the UK? Because no one has been testing new arrivals for genomics and it got into the community.

The new variant has been isolated in Australia. In a traveller returned from the UK currently in hotel isolation and not a risk to the community.

EileenGC · 02/01/2021 11:52

@MarshaBradyo

The UK is Europe's (and probably the world's) laughing stock at the moment due to how badly the pandemic has been handled there.'

Did you laugh at scenes from Italy and NYC too or just U.K.?

I've never laughed at the UK or any other country for that matter, nor would I ever imagine doing that after losing friends to Covid. I can't laugh when people I love have died.

How the pandemic was handled in the UK yes, it's laughable. Because it seems like those in charge have no idea what they're doing, and they definitely aren't thinking about all the lives lost due to their incompetence. Not only to Covid by the way, many other people will lose their life or financial security when this is over. Same as when Spain reopened discos in June, that was also laughable. Or people in Milan rushing to the south when lockdown was announced.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 02/01/2021 11:52

'Because Mumsnet isn’t full of New Yorkers and Spaniards pretending life ain’t so bad'

Oh life is bad, this virus has caused devastation. I feel for everyone who has lost a loved one. I didn't laugh at France in Nov when they had high numbers because I knew their leaders like everywhere are doing the best they can.

So please stop the laughing, the bigotry, the gloating about 'British arrogance'. Try a bit of kindness and compassion and just be glad your country's variables mean it has been easier to control. Like our Isles of Scilly.

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 02/01/2021 11:52

@nolongersurprised depends as i guess jacinda went on scientific advise and didn't just think it all herself !!! Also nz had very low numbers of the virus , nowhere near the numbers the uk had in one day at the time
Maybe if the who had advised people to lockdown sooner that would of helped and when trumped shut americas borders he was heavily criticised
But as you don't live here it doesn't actually affect you and you know only really what you read , such as fake news with people fleeing quarantine etc