How are different parts of the world so different?!

[JC17fj74]

How are we all dealing with Covid so differently right now?
So far I've seen friends in Australia enjoying the 'normal' things in life such a beach days, meals out and drinks and cocktails in bars. Friends in America dining out in restaurants etc
And here we are in full shitty lockdown with no end date in sight.
Why are we so different over her?!
It's like the rest of the world has started to get back to normal and we are stuck in this nightmare 😫

@Forgetmenot157

The funny thing is that the countries that seem to be doing really well are the ones that closed themselves off from the world and effectively said we will. Come out to play once you lot of fixed a global issue.... Yes NZ have contained the virus well... However they have done naff all to Contribute to the global effort but will happily take the vaccine that allows them to open up.

I don't think that NZ have contributed naff all to the global effort.

www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-zealand-joins-global-search-covid-19-vaccine

Reading the Australian press, Their vaccine roll out is going to be pretty slow going as they don’t seem to want the Oxford vaccine and many prefer to wait for the pzfizer one but they’ve only ordered 10 million doses

The population is 25.36 million. If you don’t vaccinate under 18s,around 20% of the population and under 40 are back of the queue, 10 million is a good start.

Parts of America are pretending it's not happening

I wouldn't say that exactly, but it's true they're trying to keep a balance by thinking of the economy too, instead of chucking it down the drain
The jury's still out on whether that'll be the right thing to have done in the end, but at least they're trying (and I believe restaurants and the great god Disney are still limiting numbers?)

Agree with Salty's point about the lack of masks in some areas though - that seems to me to be just an unnecessary risk, when wearing them is a fairly easy fix

Are there any MNers in Belgium? Belgium has had a bad time of it.

@IcedPurple

it has been going on for months but there’s no obligation for people to have sat down and poured over the masses of information generated during it. Not everyone knows what you know.

I don't think it takes 'masses of information' to know that NZ is an island in the South Pacific, 5 hours by plane from its nearest major neighbour, geographically bigger than GB but with a population slightly smaller than that of Yorkshire.

5 minutes on the Google will do it.

We’re digressing massively now, but no I agree that example is not masses of information; however not everyone would think to look it up in relation to the question that they have. It’s also debatable about how they would apply that information to answering their question.

Outside of that, yes there is a heck of a lot of information out there about this pandemic and a lot of it is complete bollocks or open to interpretation.

Again, you know what you know and other people know what they know. Someone asking a question that you know a detailed answer to off the top of your head doesn’t make the asker stupid or you superior.

Again, you know what you know and other people know what they know. Someone asking a question that you know a detailed answer to off the top of your head doesn’t make the asker stupid or you superior.

It's not about simply 'asking questions'. It's about the constant stupid comparisons to a country whose circumstances are entirely different from those of Britain.

Is it really too much to expect someone to have very basic knowledge of a subject before offering opinions on it?

Is it really too much to expect someone to have very basic knowledge of a subject before offering opinions on it?

Yes. This isn’t a professional environment and there is literally no requirement to show your credentials before posting on here.

I’m not saying not to correct it or point out why it’s wrong, but there’s no need to publicly shame people by holding up your own intellect as the benchmark for allowing an opinion to be aired.

@Cornettoninja

Is it really too much to expect someone to have very basic knowledge of a subject before offering opinions on it?

Yes. This isn’t a professional environment and there is literally no requirement to show your credentials before posting on here.

I’m not saying not to correct it or point out why it’s wrong, but there’s no need to publicly shame people by holding up your own intellect as the benchmark for allowing an opinion to be aired.

This discussion is getting pointless. If you think it requires 'intellect' or 'credentials' to know why NZ is not a good comparison point with the UK, then I'll leave it there.

Probably best

Cos it's round and seasonal!

@squishee Does Germany (or at least the state where you live) have the same strict rules that we have in the UK re not meeting anyone from outside your household for social purposes? Are people in Germany concerned about hospitals being overrun and medical treatment for non-Covid related issues being delayed?

The countries that have done best are those with the ability to lockdown hard and enforce it.

This takes a population that will embrace a common goal and do their best to support it (clue: that is not the U.K.) and also a police force both large enough and with the tools to support the Corona regulations (again, not us).

We have probably been unlucky with the new strain. However, unlocking on the 2nd December with cases still high and schools open sent the message to Christmas Party on-and, as a nation, we did.

The good thing, though, is that the government did a great job on vaccinations, encouraging research and taking risk by mass buying every potential vaccine. By late February, we may be unlocking with the rest of Europe locking down hard, as various more infectious variants take hold there.

This discussion is getting pointless. If you think it requires 'intellect' or 'credentials' to know why NZ is not a good comparison point with the UK, then I'll leave it there.

I have to agree.

It's pretty baseline to know that NZ and the UK are not comparable.

It's because the ULT (useless lying twat) rate for the members of the English government is staggeringly high. I think about 98% resulted ULT-positive, based on media performance and ability to implement effective decisions, such as closing airports and schools.

Anyone who lives somewhere other than UK/New Zealand/Australia lurking on this thread? Am genuinely interested to hear about what the rules and daily life are like in other countries.

Yes, I'm in central Italy. System of red-orange-yellow zones based on regional infection rates similar to UK tiers, but implemented efficiently and consistently e.g. over Xmas it was red zone, full-on lockdown and it looks like it kept rates down. Primary schools open with face masks all day. Secondary schools shut since October in my region, with 3 hours of remote learning each day, working pretty well. Masks in shops were obligatory all through last year, temp checks at local supermarket (not all) and at all train stations. Social distancing on buses and trains. Temp checks at airports since last summer, unlike the UK where I just walked straight into the airport.

Also in Italy and confirm what Quark says. Temperature checks were also ongoing at airports where I am as early as 13th Feb which is when my friends visited from London. They were astonished. We also had ours checked before being allowed into the airport to pick them up.

@Jetatyeovilaerodrome

This discussion is getting pointless. If you think it requires 'intellect' or 'credentials' to know why NZ is not a good comparison point with the UK, then I'll leave it there.

I have to agree.

It's pretty baseline to know that NZ and the UK are not comparable.

Well that was an example, I haven’t seen anyone refute the facts when presented with them. It doesn’t explain us leaving our boarders pretty much open throughout.

There’s nothing to say we have to copy other countries word for word, but why wouldn’t you look at what has had good results in other countries and see if there was a way to apply it here?

@TheSilentStars

Also in Italy and confirm what Quark says. Temperature checks were also ongoing at airports where I am as early as 13th Feb which is when my friends visited from London. They were astonished. We also had ours checked before being allowed into the airport to pick them up.

Temperature checks are a very unreliable way of detecting the virus.

Lilypond in Germany nationwide we are allowed to meet with one person from another household at the moment. The restrictions are designed to avoid maxing out the heathcare system, but currently out of around 25K ICU beds nationwide, only 5K are free. The measures are not working, and being debated on Tues between Merkel and the state governors.

@TheKeatingFive

Hmm a bit like WA being part of Australia and yet managing to close its border.

The U.K. is prohibited from closing its border with ROI under international law.

Is that true? I did not know that.

Going back to what someone said about African countries, much of the population of the African continent is under 25 (60% I believe). They are also better set up for dealing with these things having had numerous epidemics across the region.

Is that true? I did not know that

It’s been a big issue in brexit negotiations. Reported on widely.

I’m surprised you missed it.

@Cornettoninja

Is that true? I did not know that

It’s been a big issue in brexit negotiations. Reported on widely.

I’m surprised you missed it.

I get that you're still trying to continue our disagreement above, but I'm happy to admit that I'm not familiar with the status of the NI border under international law. If you have relevant links, I'd be genuinely interested in reading htem.

We live in very close proximity to each other - dense population, tiny houses, public transport, closed windows and central heating. Cold & damp winter months. An ageing population with many people living into their 80s or 90's.
We're also honest about our figures.