New Zealand has eliminated coronavirus

[Porpoises]

I keep seeing posters saying "well we'll all have to catch it sooner or later". It's not true. If the government had the political will and competence, they could pursue an elimination goal.

New Zealand has eliminated coronavirus, no new cases today. They locked down early, semi-closed their borders and are aggressively testing, tracking and isolating people exposed. This means they can ease lockdown with everyone safe. They will obviously have to be vigilant in case they have missed cases, but it looks like they will succeed in getting coronavirus free.

Wish I could emigrate - but for obvious reasons they're not accepting visitors right now!

//www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-52436658

[Derbygerbil]

@pigeon999

I’m actually in the UK - never been to NZ - and am well aware of the 50,000 deaths or so Covid deaths here. My point was that the risks in NZ at the moment from Covid are infinitesimal, and that continuing to socially distance and keep away from people is an over-reaction, and that to have such a reaction to such a low level or risk would mean having to lock yourself away forever as there’s a greater risk from simply walking down the street!

[echt]

Nah.

Some more have turned up. From the UK:

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/jun/16/coronavirus-live-news-covid-19-update-global-cases-pass-8-million-beijing-china-partial-lockdown-latest-updates

[PicsInRed]

The difficulty is that those two women are both Kiwis, NZers, returning for family reasons (dying relative).

The borders are closed to all - except NZ citizens and residents. Legally it was be very difficult to close the borders to citizens, which these women very likely are.

It was clearly a foolish rule to permit early release from quarantine, though at least this is now no longer permitted.

[OffThePlanet]

This link says it all - New Zealand’s PM Jacinta Arden and the UK’s Boris Johnson’s attitude to eliminating Coronavirus.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

It may have been foolish but it was done for compassionate reasons.
I hope they don't infect anyone.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Sadly they nailed it @OffThePlanet

[Derbygerbil]

@Northernsoullover45

Surely, it’s sad we didn’t nail it, not sad they did?

[Northernsoulgirl45]

The poster who posted the thread nailed it.
It is sad that we have such an idiotic excuse for a Government.

[Alondra]

NZ, Australia, and any other country that has eliminated the virus or has it under control, is only one person away bringing the infection back to the country.

What makes NZ special is being the only country that has eliminated the virus - it means that there is NO community transmission and any new cases are imported. As long as there is a good track and trace system to control those imported cases, the virus CAN'T be transmitted locally and the population can go about their normal lives.

Reading this thread, I'm aghast at the level vitriol and patronising posts against NZ. Frankly I don't get it. New Zealand may be a small country but boy, it's a small country with the balls of a giant. Somehow they always manage to do the right thing, and with this pandemic they've done exceptionally well. Jacinda Arden had a clear plan from early on and committed her country to it. NZ did one of the strictest lockdowns in the world while having one of smallest amount of infections and number of deaths. Acting so EARLY was KEY. And it payed off.

Don't listen to those trying to put your country and government down. You've done exceptionally well.

[dementedma]

2 cases reported in NZ today

[pinktaxi]

2 new cases today, both flew in from the U.K.

Comparison is ridiculous due entirely to the demographics.

[Alondra]

Comparison is ridiculous due entirely to the demographics.

Bullshit. Vietnam is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, shares a border with China, has no health system, and a standard of living well below developed countries, and has done amazingly well with COVID.

The key? Same as NZ and Australia to a lesser degree. Act early, act hard. The "demographics" justification is just that, a crap justification from people whose countries didn't act fast enough.

[Gfplux]

New Zealand needs to keep itself safe from British tourists.

[SerendipityJane]

New Zealand needs to keep itself safe from British tourists.

As does anywhere with a better infection rate than the UK.

[Jaxhog]

That's only until they open their borders. Which they'll have to do sometime.

[Jaxhog]

You can only 'eliminate' the virus if you seal your borders early on. This is only possible if your borders were fairly solid to start with. The UK is a travel hub, meaning it has a vast number of people traveling through it. There was no way we could have closed out borders like NZ did.

Now, if they open them a chink they will need a rigid track and trace, plus quarantine system - which they do. Unless we in the UK are prepared to travel nowhere and relinquish our status as a major travel hub for the foreseeable future, this approach will not work for us.

It is really quite simple. The more people mix with those who have the virus, the more it will spread. From recent observation, it seems that UK citizens are not willing to reduce their mixing to the level needed to eliminate the virus completely. No amount of government 'instructions' or laws will change that. Unless, of course you want a regime that completely limits freedom of movement?

[thatgingergirl]

New Zealand needs to keep itself safe from British tourists. I expect they are doing so, as their current regulations only allow New Zealanders, their families and key workers to cross the border.
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/16/new-zealand-records-first-new-covid-19-cases-after-women-arrive-from-uk-carrying-virus

[PicsInRed]

@Gfplux

New Zealand needs to keep itself safe from British tourists.

Only citizens and residents are allowed in at present. Residence expires, therefore these 2 women were almost certainly NZ citizens.

[PicsInRed]

Re: travel hubs, not sure if this has been touched on, but NZ had ambitions to be a travel hub between Asia and South America etc. This is extremely painful to more than just tourism.

[Florrieboo]

Seems the two "ladies" lied about not stopping and not having any physical contact with anyone else. So selfish.

[DdraigGoch]

The key? Same as NZ and Australia to a lesser degree. Act early, act hard. The "demographics" justification is just that, a crap justification from people whose countries didn't act fast enough.
New Zealand locked down a day AFTER the UK. It's much easier to contain a virus in a country where you have a fraction of the number of international flights and no trains or ferries connecting you to the outside world.

[DdraigGoch]

Vietnam is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, shares a border with China, has no health system, and a standard of living well below developed countries, and has done amazingly well with COVID.
Given that most cases were passed on in hospitals and care homes, perhaps the lack of provision perversely reduces the rate of infection. I'm willing to bet that they've also got a younger population.

[feelingverylazytoday]

More quarantine breaches www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/18/new-zealand-coronavirus-defences-under-scrutiny-as-more-breaches-emerge

[ragged]

There's a big persecution fashion in NZ, constant reporting of breaches. A right snitcher's culture. I feel sorry for the women who only travelled to see a dying relative. I have close relatives who live other side of quarantine zones, too. I've already told the my rellies that if they are suddenly very ill or die I can't actually go to visit, or attend their funerals. I feel like I'm back in the 1800s.

[CiCiFreakingBabcock]

The whole situation has been a massive cock up. @ragged, because of those those two women you feel sorry for (one of whom lied to hide C19 symptoms, and they both lied about contact they had with people along the way), there will be no further exemptions from border rules on compassionate grounds. Turns out lockdown only applied to those of us who were gullible enough to believe everyone was in lockdown except for essential services. Some shithead traveled to the US and then returned 5 days later, bringing with him 20 kg of meth during our supposed lockdown. HTF does that happen? SMFH.