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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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8
lockeddownandcrazy · 31/12/2020 16:40

We could have used the fact we are an island. People are still travelling abroad even now for 'business' as if that is the be all and end all.

But then, if we cannot even enforce mask wearing in the supermarket and stop big groups gathering then we have no chance really

happystone · 31/12/2020 16:41

Look at Thailand China there ok our government is shit they done everything late and half measure we are a island. Simple. No flights in our out for people.

Rosebuddydo · 31/12/2020 16:42

I am a New Zealander living in London. My
Thoughts on this are that there was very clear and decisive action taken very fast. Society there tends to 'follow the rules' a bit more. There was talk of 'bubbles' and 'team effort' very early on and the majority followed. As for the argument that NZ has a small population on its side, yes this is true but then look at Vietnam whose population is close to the UK and they also are pretty much covid free like NZ due to a similar response.

I definitely questioned to myself who has 'got it right' many months ago and thought NZ may have got it wrong but I now feel very clear that their approach was by far the best avenue to take.

Recently I helped my elderly uncle enter NZ and it was by no means easy. If quarantine spots ran out then it was tough luck.

happystone · 31/12/2020 16:44

I wish we had the newzeland government, who the hell would want ours.GET THEM OUT

MarshaBradyo · 31/12/2020 16:45

Thoughts on this are that there was very clear and decisive action taken very fast.

Out of interest what date do you think U.K. would have to have locked down to compare? NZ had very low cases in late March (105ish) easy to trace. On what date did we have 105 easier to trace cases and what were the rest of the world doing at the same time

happystone · 31/12/2020 16:47

I would love to put our government in a inner city secondary school for 2 weeks it would do them the world of good. They can all get codv and have a dose of reliety

Pootle40 · 31/12/2020 16:47

@RaspberryCoulis

How did we manage to get it so wrong but they got it so right?

They are 2,500 miles from their nearest major neighbour.

Exactly. Never has the phrase comparing 'apples and pears' applied more.
annevonkleve · 31/12/2020 16:47

OP this is such an old argument. NZ is three hours' flight from the nearest other country. We are 20 miles by sea or rail. It's not the same at all, although Guernsey and Isle of Man also took similar measures and kept it out. Everyone has suffered economic damage though.

With hindsight we could have perhaps joined up with Ireland and taken a joint approach, but we would have always had the lorries going in and out (though as we saw last week, virtually no lorry drivers have covid). And we certainly should have stopped people going on holiday. Essential and family trips only.

We could have done more, but it's no good comparing us with NZ.

Passmeabottlemrjones · 31/12/2020 16:47

I do feel a bit like it's comparing a teacher who has a class of 12 children in a 'naice' school with a teacher who has a class of 32 in an inner city primary and then comparing their results.

Jacinda Ardern has done a great job and has made some good decisions, but she generally has a much easier job - a fairly isolated pair of islands with a tiny population, where people travel in and out a lot less already because its so far away from anywhere, with already strict policies on immigration/travel/what you can bring in was always going to be better at dealing with this, and able to make decisions that just wouldn't be feasible for the UK.

A much better comparison would be France, Germany, Spain etc and... Well.... It hasn't been great for any of them has it?

GetOffYourHighHorse · 31/12/2020 16:48

'why are you so hellbent on defending the government'

As I've said we aren't comparing the Isles of scilly to London because that would be a glaringly ridiculous comparison so why tf compare us to NZ. We are doing as well/badly as other countries in Europe cases approx 30000 per million, deaths approx 1000 per million www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Let's have a sensible intelligent comparison with like for like countries rather that this 'arrogant British' bollocks.

Rosebuddydo · 31/12/2020 16:48

@MarshaBradyo not sure I could quote exact dates without having to look back at the chain of events but I do remember wondering why was Boris dancing outside number 10 for Chinese New Year and why haven't we shut boarders.

happystone · 31/12/2020 16:49

I can not justify what our government has done it’s insane embarrassing and anyone sticking up for them as been gaslighted poor things

Rosebuddydo · 31/12/2020 16:49

Sorry *borders

Bellieberg · 31/12/2020 16:49

@MarshaBradyo

Thoughts on this are that there was very clear and decisive action taken very fast.

Out of interest what date do you think U.K. would have to have locked down to compare? NZ had very low cases in late March (105ish) easy to trace. On what date did we have 105 easier to trace cases and what were the rest of the world doing at the same time

I would answer this as: the point at which it was clear that we were on the same trajectory as Italy.

I agree, JA's clear (and explicit) policy was - "go hard and go early" - "We must go hard, and go early, and do everything we can to protect New Zealanders' health."

I heard nothing even resembling that policy from Boris for a very long time.

annevonkleve · 31/12/2020 16:49

Also NZ bet on the vaccine coming quickly. Which it has. Things could have been very different if it hadn't.

Passmeabottlemrjones · 31/12/2020 16:49

@happystone

Look at Thailand China there ok our government is shit they done everything late and half measure we are a island. Simple. No flights in our out for people.
For fucks sake, can we stop comparing the UK with China.

They. Welded. People. Into. Their. Homes.

happystone · 31/12/2020 16:50

England and Thailand England and China compare those

Ninkanink · 31/12/2020 16:50

@satnighttakeaway

We could have easily done the same

We could have easily shut all the borders, sea, air, tunnel? No way.

Obviously it literally could be done but realistcally? I don't think so.

Of course we couldn’t have.

London is one of the main business/tourism hubs of the world. Not exactly comparable to a town in NZ.

Add to that the population density here and things like commuting for work/public transport and I expect it’s a whole different world.

Passmeabottlemrjones · 31/12/2020 16:52

@annevonkleve

Also NZ bet on the vaccine coming quickly. Which it has. Things could have been very different if it hadn't.
Yes, it was essentially a gamble for NZ - lockdown completely and hope that someone quickly comes up with a vaccine we can use.

It looks like it has paid off.

Ninkanink · 31/12/2020 16:52

Yes quite @Passmeabottlemrjones!

I wouldn’t accept being welded into or otherwise imprisoned in my home or elsewhere and I certainly wouldn’t want to live in a country that takes that choice away from me.

MadameBlobby · 31/12/2020 16:52

@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?
There are 4 million of them and 66 million of us which I suspect helps a bit.
happystone · 31/12/2020 16:53

Can’t people do zoom meetings why travel to London for face to face. It’s bullshit excuse

MarshaBradyo · 31/12/2020 16:53

Bellie apparently Germany made a better decision and went early. Lower deaths but it still doesn’t give result NZ has. And suffering now.

Pp re Chinese NY that was Jan 25th? When did WHO stop giving guidance to keep borders open?

Rosebuddydo · 31/12/2020 16:54

I think yes the gamble paid off and there is luck involved there. Definitely agree with this but also think had there been no vaccine New Zealand bought itself time....

happystone · 31/12/2020 16:54

I wonder what boris the crazy clown thinks