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Original poster

New Zealand has eliminated coronavirus

282 replies

Porpoises · 27/04/2020 19:33

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

OP posts:
B1rdbra1n · 28/04/2020 11:18

If only we could all move to New Zealand....
then it would have a population density similar to Britain and theyd have no chance of containing the virus

eaglejulesk · 28/04/2020 11:20

@bruffin- thanks, that's a relief

eaglejulesk · 28/04/2020 11:21

@B1rdbra1n - strange though it may seem we don't actually want to have a population density similar to the UK

eaglejulesk · 28/04/2020 11:22

Problem drinking is statistically an issue, as is obesity

obviously not in the UK however

shinebrightlikea · 28/04/2020 11:27

NZ and it's residents are not 'superior' for getting cases down.

It's much easier for them to do - no one goes there and it's population is tiny and spread out.

There are already more today. My parents live on a small remote island (Bermuda) - they locked down early etc like NZ because they had to - they could not cope with it spreading, the same as NZ. Each country is taking the steps it needs to do to manage this.

The issue for places like NZ and Bermuda etc is how they cope until there's a vaccine, whilst the rest of the world is living with it and moving forward and they are stuck, still trying to keep it out.

eaglejulesk · 28/04/2020 11:31

The issue for places like NZ and Bermuda etc is how they cope until there's a vaccine, whilst the rest of the world is living with it and moving forward and they are stuck, still trying to keep it out.

How exactly are you "moving forward" - hasn't your lockdown already been extended once, and people don't seem very confident that it won't be again?

TheSkyWasDark · 28/04/2020 11:33

I don't understand how this thread has turned into some kind of bickering match about NZ being shit.

Can there be no positive news?

Of course we can look at reasons for how they may have been in a good position to contain it but some of you just seem to be unable to accept that not every country has a government as shit as the UK.

And stop banging on about bloody population density. Several Asian countries have shown that that is not necessarily a factor.

shinebrightlikea · 28/04/2020 11:36

@eaglejulesk my lockdown?

Do you even know where I live?

Who knows when the UK will lift its lockdown, if that's what you mean. But it will be better equipped to cope due to the new hospitals etc.

Unless a vaccine comes along soon or NZ literally stop anyone from entering the country - we all need to accept that this virus will spread. And if a country is not equipped (ventilators / beds etc) its a bit screwed.

We are at the very start of this pandemic - it's far too early for NZ to be gloating that it's job done and their approach is the most successful.

shinebrightlikea · 28/04/2020 11:38

@TheSkyWasDark I think it's started with people saying the UK are shit and NZ have succeeded - it's too early to call which countries have come out better.

Ejmorgan · 28/04/2020 11:39

I'm confused as to how it is eradicated in nz they have 239 active cases and 3 new cases . They are doing brilliantly but certainly not gone .

PerkyPomPoms · 28/04/2020 11:45

Shit that’s a bit harsh. What did we kiwis ever do to you?

mencken · 28/04/2020 11:48

spent a lot of time in NZ. 5 million people (was 4 million when I was there) in a space the size of the UK, although a lot of it isn't habitable or is protected national park. Only one really large city.

yes, Ardern has done a great job but it isn't quite the same as the UK.

itstrue · 28/04/2020 11:48

No exactly it hasn't gone in NZ! And it won't for some time.We had three new cases and It's going to take time to see if we have managed to Eradicate it and then keep it out.

However how about we leave the negativity and instead see it may be possible to live in this world without this Virus.

Iknewyouwerewaitingforme · 28/04/2020 11:48

A man from Australia who'd emigrated from the UK years ago called into LBC yesterday to basically be smug and patronising about how well they've managed to keep it under control and how poorly the UK were doing. Australia and especially NZ are entirely different countries than ours so it is beyond pointless to compare. While they sound very smug about having contained it, this is FOR NOW and they will be stunned when a second wave hits them.

shinebrightlikea · 28/04/2020 11:51

@Iknewyouwerewaitingforme

You're not allowed to say that on MN. Or rationally point out that this is far from over, and it's too soon to be smug.

You are only allowed to praise every other country and say how terrible the UK is doing and how the UK is doomed.

B1rdbra1n · 28/04/2020 11:51

it's easy to slide into competition and point scoring but It's not over yet and we need to be trying to encourage collaboration between countries.

leckford · 28/04/2020 11:53

NZ Is a collection of islands quite a long way from anywhere. They have a population of some 5 million. Much easier to control this than the U.K. with a huge population. They will have to keep out tourists for some time to keep this under control and I would think tourism is a big part of their national income. We have been and many farms had holiday stay and loads of things to do.

Iknewyouwerewaitingforme · 28/04/2020 11:55

oh yes sorry shinebrightlikea

PerkyPomPoms · 28/04/2020 11:59

Why do you think we kiwis are smug? We’re not gloating or being arseholes about how the UK is dealing with the virus. The nastiness on here is unnecessary. Yes Uk and Nz are different. Yes the Uk is a massive tourist hub. Some of you think we are a shit, boring country. That’s your opinion. Why not celebrate the good news and not be so quick to run down any signs of success.

itstrue · 28/04/2020 12:08

NZ didn't really have any choice. Our health system is lacking in a pandemic. We would have been wiped out in a higher level than Italy.

But NZ tourism is 60% New Zealanders travelling within the country.

Seperate to this we spend billions a year on
Overseas travel so if this is redirected forwards internal travel than maybe we will be ok.

But if we aren't I'm not sure how it will cause the scoff on this thread. At least we took a stand and followed it through.

IllegalFred · 28/04/2020 12:09

I think NZ has not put a foot wrong. Unlike our bumbling Australian government which has stuffed up a few different ways and is lucky our numbers are as low as they are.

Interesting that you credit the low numbers in Australia with luck yet NZ's are definitely the result of the decisive steps by the government. Why isn't everyone praising scomo's handling of the crisis given Australia have such low numbers? :-p

To me it suggests geography (whether that's latitude, population density) etc. plays a bigger role than we thought.

TheSkyWasDark · 28/04/2020 12:15

"NZ Is a collection of islands quite a long way from anywhere. They have a population of some 5 million. Much easier to control this than the U.K. with a huge population."

Korea has a population of 60 million, right next to China and Japan and high population density.

So what's your reasoning for them being able to control it?

The UK, and much of the west, did a shite job and people should be really angry about that, not making excuses for why it would be impossible for them to do the same.

Somanythingsmakemesad · 28/04/2020 12:37

We are at the very start of this pandemic - it's far too early for NZ to be gloating that it's job done and their approach is the most successful.

I agree with this ^

I spent months in NZ and it is a truly stunning place to visit, Eden in fact, but comparing UK to NZ is just daft for all the obvious population comparisons, not being an international travel hub etc.

I sort of see them as sitting on a floating iceberg right now, happy to be safe away from the main contaminated mainland but wondering wtf happens next ..

TheSkyWasDark · 28/04/2020 12:54

"We are at the very start of this pandemic - it's far too early for NZ to be gloating that it's job done and their approach is the most successful."

Have they done this?

Original poster
Porpoises · 28/04/2020 12:58

I imagine they could sell covid-free tourism quite successfully in a few months. Many tourist destinations will be struggling with infections or lockdowns, whereas in New Zealand people will be moving around as normal. I can imagine wealthy retired people and those on gap years would happily spend two weeks quarantined in a hotel, or take a mandatory test, in order to then have a several month-long trip of a lifetime, free of risk and restriction.

And as others have pointed out, much of their tourism is domestic anyway.

OP posts: