NZ back into lockdown.

[Malin52]

1 case in the community. All of NZ back into lockdown Level 4 because no link to border found.

Hard and fast.

@Remmy123

Lockdown because of one case??? Wow.

Thank god I don't live there. To keep locking down like that isn't sustainable, will they do this forever then?

One case it all it takes though. I’d rather have a shirt swift lockdown and then be able to go back to normal for weeks on end than the current situation here in the UK.

I'm amazed NZ have wasted all the time they've gained from their rapid lockdowns and locked borders, not to vaccinate the population. Are they genuinely happy destroying the tourist economy and restricting normal life for ever? The pandemic is not going away. They have had so much time to protect their population and economy and wasted it.

Didn't they look at other countries and the spread of variants and the protective situation with vaccines? Even with a fully vaccinated adult population there are still serious cases and infections. Is the answer to lock down the country for ever or vaccinate and manage the risk?

The reaction at the beginning was great as the virus was an unknown and untreatable threat. Now we know more.

@FourTeaFallOut why don’t they just walk in and get a vaccine? I’ve had mine and I’m in my 40s, you no longer need an invite.

The response has been enthusiastic - there were queues of people lining up for jabs when I went in.

I have completely agreed with NZ stance in 2020, I think it was a brave and forward thinking decision to shut the borders.

I just struggle to see the way out, the pp that answered my question I'm sure is correct, this approach has saved many lives but the UK seems to think that around 20,000 people a year will die of covid, an amount that would equal a low 'flu year. So even when vaccinated deaths will still be considerable in NZ, how are they going to get the population to accept it?

“ To keep locking down like that isn't sustainable, will they do this forever then?”

I’m in the South Island and this is the first time we have locked down since April 2020. We are opening borders early next year and after that as far as Covid is concerned, it is expected we will have cases, but no more lockdowns.

@Disneycharacter

That is a very ignorant take on the situation.

NZ deliberately waited in the line for vaccines to allow stock to go to more vulnerable nations. It is sickening how the wealthiest countries have grabbed so much of the stock and left the ravaged Third World countries in such a state.

The plan is to use the safe status to roll the vaccine out in a way that does not deny immediate stock to more needy places.

And going into lockdown for a few days is a small price to pay compared with most countries which have been in for months-long lockdowns.

@pommedeterre

I would not be happy in a zero covid aim environment at all. Constantly counting covid free days would not suit me. Vaccines will not prevent cases so when does it end?

I’m in Covid free place at the moment and you’re right. Knowing that you can go into lockdown at any moment for just case is extremely stressful. You just give up on planning anything.

Was going to try and book a holiday interstate (I’m in Australia) but why bother at the moment. Everyone’s gone just a bit mad here at the moment.

[quote 50ShadesOfCatholic]@Disneycharacter

That is a very ignorant take on the situation.

NZ deliberately waited in the line for vaccines to allow stock to go to more vulnerable nations. It is sickening how the wealthiest countries have grabbed so much of the stock and left the ravaged Third World countries in such a state.

The plan is to use the safe status to roll the vaccine out in a way that does not deny immediate stock to more needy places.

And going into lockdown for a few days is a small price to pay compared with most countries which have been in for months-long lockdowns.[/quote]
I’m sorry but the job of a government is to look after it’s own people first.

The world isn’t fair but delaying vaccinating your own country isn’t going to change that.

@Athrawes

We have increased to a 6 week schedule. She (just assume we mean Jacinda) said that the vaccine centres will close for 48 hours until they are sure they can be safe. I had my vaccine this week and none of the staff were masked and we were all sitting together - 100 plus people, in a mall - so they will need to step up the bio security if they are to continue to vaccinate. But I expect we will start again in 3 days.

This is bonkers.

Why would you have a vaccination programme in a pandemic with no consideration of biosecurity?

The whole point is your vaccination programme is vulnerable if you have a breakout - the time you are going to need it most. If faced with an outbreak you are going to want to be able to accelerate vaccination at speed, not shut them down completely because it might be dangerous! Thus setting up a system which is most immune to potential disruption from the word go is prudent.

Relying on the assumption that you are going to continue to be covid free and having a vaccine programme based on that is insecure and dangerous - especially given the example of Australia and actually also the difficulties Singapore has had with Delta (despite their amazing tracing programme).

Good planning would be geared to having biosecurity in vaccination setting as a precaution. Having drive in vaccination centres for example would be very sensible.

We know that when the original strain hit the uk, italy and the US it went undetected for some time. Its thought it was spreading in the community in Europe from December and possibly earlier. Even though we knew it was causing a massive problem in China, we didn't really entertain the idea it was 'here' for some time after that.

Is a 3 day lockdown likely to stop it, if there's an undetected breakout? What next?

And honestly theres still a massive unanswered question about what happens once vaccinations have been done and borders reopen. Theres one hell of a shock still to come. Or draconian restrictions for ever more.

So far questioning NZs strategy and planning on covid seems to be something thats not allowed and is greeted by 'but we've done so much better than everyone else' rather than a meaningful thought as to where the situation is now and how flaws might creep in and nz might yet find itself vulnerable.

There is always room to learn lessons from the rest of world. Even now.

Yes other places have cocked up more. On a grand scale. NZ are not immune even now from the possibility of a late stage cock up.

As I said on the Australia thread yesterday - the only real way out of this is vaccination so they have to get on with it. Mind you 250,000 a week sounds like they are getting on with it.

Seems a bit silly to lock down the South Island because they've had one case in Auckland...

That's absolutely insane. How can they live like this forever. They must have a vaccine percentage in mind when they will accept covid cases otherwise they are screwed.

50shades I don’t think that true at all. Certainly it’s the spin both NZ and Australia too have tried to claim an altruistic reason for both countries slow roll outs but both countries populations were also told last year that they were “ front of the queue “ for vaccines so those messages contradict each other and both can’t be right. NZ have stuffed up their vaccine roll outs, bottom of the oedc countries. Lower than many poorer nations.
They should be more honest about that rather than claiming altruistic reasons or blaming “greedy” richer countries ( that have made and manufactured the vaccines) buying all the supply. NZ really should have capacity to manufacture vaccines. It’s something they should look at doing for the future rather than the risk of relying on others.
I read a report that NZ didn’t actually confirm their pfzier order until end of January. 2 months after the U.K. had started jabbing people. That’s amazingly slow.

@sashagabadon

Well clearly you are better informed than the NZ government and the assorted epidemiologists and everyone else who is managing the situation 24-7. And the official word from WHO. Very good of you to lend your services free of charge to mumsnet.

@igelkott2021

As I said on the Australia thread yesterday - the only real way out of this is vaccination so they have to get on with it. Mind you 250,000 a week sounds like they are getting on with it.

Seems a bit silly to lock down the South Island because they've had one case in Auckland...

You do realise that people travel between the islands with monotonous regularity?

I read lots of Aussie and New Zealand press. It’s all there in the public domain

@sashagabadon

I read lots of Aussie and New Zealand press. It’s all there in the public domain

I think you need to read some more...

this approach has saved many lives but the UK seems to think that around 20,000 people a year will die - a low flu year

Keep seeing trotted out. That’s a very HIGH flu year. An average type year is around 10,000.

@TheKeatingFive

It’s interesting to note that both Aus/NZ used the benefit of having more time than others spectacularly to their advantage last March when it came to prepping their countries for lockdown.

Yet both have squandered it really badly now when it comes to vaccine rollout.

Perhaps the psychology of vaccine acceptance is just totally different? Having a sense of urgency is really beneficial for vaccine take up.

As a healthy adult, I was really keen to get the vaccine to both prevent further lockdowns but also to protect the vulnerable as it’s been devastating to see so much loss. Maybe living in a Covid free country you just don’t get that.

Posters keep saying that NZ will "have" to open up, that staying closed is unsustainable. But if the tangata whenua want the borders shut, they will stay shut. To protect the people of the land who have little interest in going elsewhere, who do not want more foreign people to come in and are just fine where they are. Many would be quite happy for us to stay this way for the next decade if that is what it takes.

@Gilmorehill Kiwis feel the same as you do. Our uptake has been enthusiastic and high - we have only been limited by supply. Now 250,000 vaccinations are being given a week. Until now anyway!

@Waxonwaxoff0 I currently have Covid and I'd rather put up with it than go into lockdown at the drop of a hat. well am sure you are as you aren’t on end of life care! Have some compassion and some common sense.

@Athrawes

Posters keep saying that NZ will "have" to open up, that staying closed is unsustainable. But if the tangata whenua want the borders shut, they will stay shut. To protect the people of the land who have little interest in going elsewhere, who do not want more foreign people to come in and are just fine where they are. Many would be quite happy for us to stay this way for the next decade if that is what it takes.

Those borders will be down in a heartbeat with the next big earthquake. Being complacent about vaccination levels in the meantime is a risky gamble.

@IfYoureCrappyAndYouKnowIt

“ To keep locking down like that isn't sustainable, will they do this forever then?”

I’m in the South Island and this is the first time we have locked down since April 2020. We are opening borders early next year and after that as far as Covid is concerned, it is expected we will have cases, but no more lockdowns.

Hopefully in the intervening months your population will be vaccinated. Most countries learned the hard way how important vaccination is

We had recently returned to NZ from the UK and were in Dunedin in the South Island when we saw a vaccination clinic. We were absolutely astonished that this clinic was next to the food court in a shopping mall and there was no PPE being used whatsoever. Despite the lack of Covid it seemed poor practice. Where we live now there are clinics held in GP surgeries with tiny waiting rooms, but also large church halls. They have had surplus vaccinations the last 2 weeks and have put shout outs for walk ins for all ages.

The vaccine roll out here has been far too slow. Far too slow. They are going to have a hard time convincing the population that they will have to live with covid going forward.

I do think the psychology will be fascinating. As others have said, COVID is here to stay and there will be a point where delta or perhaps some even more transmissible variant will start to spread quickly through the population of NZ - and even with a high vaccination rate that will cause a number of deaths, a number of cases of long COVID and it will be quite upsetting.

I think a lot of New Zealander’s will struggle with that. They have embraced zero COVID as a goal and worked hard to keep it like that. At the point they see community transmissions amongst their friends and neighbours, cases rising and deaths being reported it may well feel like a frightening loss of control, even if the number of deaths is comparatively low.

I think preparing the population for that moment will be very important, and will require careful handling.