Can someone explain to me New Zealand?

[idontknow54789]

Sorry for the ignorance/naivety here but can someone explain to me the reasonings behind such extreme lockdown measures in NZ? At the beginning of the pandemic they're approach was fully accepted but surely now with vaccines and omnicrom being a 'milder' form of covid they have to start setting sense? Is it about the health system? I understand there's a severe lack of ICU beds but is locking down so much really better for health? Can anyone explain it to me please?

@DoubleDeckerSwimmer I was quite clear - I don't believe there are thousands waiting to move back to NZ. Family visits are a different issue.

@Tealightsandd

Haven't had a chance to catch up on this thread but here's some info on Long Covid.

Just as SARS-CoV-2 is not 'just a cold', nor is Long Covid disability 'just a bit of tiredness'.

I wrote about the need for specialist scans a while back on other threads. Standard ones were coming back as normal.

www.nihr.ac.uk/news/lung-abnormalities-found-in-long-covid-patients-with-breathlessness/29798

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/29/long-covid-study-finds-abnormality-in-lungs-that-could-explain-breathlessness?

Findings raise possibility Covid may cause microscopic damage not detected by normal tests

Still no evidence of all this research showing there are 1 million plus people in the UK disabled by long covid? Ie not the incredibly wide ONS definition that actually does encompass just a bit of tiredness.

Sorry @DoubleDeckerSwimmert - I meant wasn't quite clear!

Does it matter though @Turangawaewae? The right of return that comes with citizenship doesn’t differentiate,

Connecting with your home, your land - your turangawaewae!! - is just as important even if you’re not rendered stateless by being locked out.

MIQ was a justifiable limit on those rights in March 2020, but now we have tripled vaccination and pre departure testing and prior infection it is pointless, cruel and IMO very shortly to be ruled illegal.

@SquirrelG

I love that number of people (Tealightsandd & SquirrelG) that are really invested in this thread and then suddenly strop off saying they are wasting their time as if their time is oh so important

It's not that my time is "oh so important" - more that it is summer, the weather is lovely, and I can't be bothered spending time on MN when I could be doing something so much more interesting. I'm also sick of people who haven't the faintest idea what they are talking about giving us their opinions. The original OP was asking for the NZ response to be explained - I'm at a loss as to how a bunch of people on the other side of the world think they know all about it!

What are you on? I'm a New Zealander you absolute muppet.

@PinkTonic thank you. Of course kiwis in NZ are 'chilled' out. No I'm not 'chilled out' because I'm trapped on the other side of the world. @SquirrelG is an absolute plonker.

I believe that Squirrel is also a New Zealander, as opposed to a muppet (not that there's anything wrong with muppets - they do a catchy tune 🎶).

And nope. She's not a plonker either.

Also New Zealanders living abroad had a very long lead in period- months - where the government told them to come back and they could have re-entered without restriction. There was plenty of warning..

Not true. It was a matter of weeks. Some of us have mortgages, jobs, kids in school and elderly in-laws to look after. Leaving them at the start of a pandemic was not an option. Also no one expected to be shut out for two years. I think people assume all kiwis overseas are in their 20's doing their OE.

@Tealightsandd

@SquirrelG is too busy enjoying their summer to respond.

How is Jacinda getting away with these policies ??. Plus what planet is She actuallly on continuing it - what is her rationale/ is She brain washed ? I mean her reasoning is so skewed - its incomprehensible

Well if New Zealand had done a UK Let The Bodies Pile Up approach, there wouldn't be elderly relatives in NZ to look after. Because they'd be dead.

@Radyward

How is Jacinda getting away with these policies ??. Plus what planet is She actuallly on continuing it - what is her rationale/ is She brain washed ? I mean her reasoning is so skewed - its incomprehensible

What, not being ableist, ageist, and racist?

Oh and, what with Long Covid disability risks, she's also thinking of the economy. Short and long term.

I know from relatives I have in NZ that she has strong public support for her approach.

Those against are very much the minority.

@Tealightsandd

Well if New Zealand had done a UK Let The Bodies Pile Up approach, there wouldn't be elderly relatives in NZ to look after. Because they'd be dead.

Well my dad in his 80s managed to survive the pandemic in the UK despite multiple health issues and the “bodies piling up”. He had no choice because fucking Jacinda wouldn’t let him go home! He died recently, of other causes, on the wrong side of the world and without most of his family. Two babies he never got to see or hold, hadn’t seen his great grandchildren for two years and they all had to watch me bury him on zoom. I’ll criticise all I like thanks.

@PinkTonic I'm sorry to read this - how awful for you. Some seem to be in total denial of the true situation.

What I don't understand is that if opening of borders is delayed until May or June, won't immunity then have waned among most of the population, particularly if the Pfizer vaccine was used in the main? If that's the case then with so little natural immunity, wouldn't attempting to open up be a disaster given that Omicron cases will likely skyrocket and spread like wildfire? Is NZ currently administering a second booster dose to prevent this happening? I don't believe I've heard this from family or friends.

@Justanotherkiwi

Also New Zealanders living abroad had a very long lead in period- months - where the government told them to come back and they could have re-entered without restriction. There was plenty of warning..

Not true. It was a matter of weeks. Some of us have mortgages, jobs, kids in school and elderly in-laws to look after. Leaving them at the start of a pandemic was not an option. Also no one expected to be shut out for two years. I think people assume all kiwis overseas are in their 20's doing their OE.

It was actually one week, I went back and checked.

"Come now" = 17th March 2020

"Shelter in place" if you have not managed to come - 24th March 2020

@PinkTonic I am so sorry that is awful. I truly feel like a lot of people just don't get it. I have felt quite angry by some people on this thread commenting with their views and then when challenged responding by saying they don't have time for this and have their summer to go and enjoy. It's absolute ignorance and I hope to god that they never have to face what we have. It's a bit of an I'm alright so it's all ok attitude.

Just to reassure lots of New Zealanders my elderly relatives are alive..covid has been bad but no it hasn’t wiped put our total over 70 population..honestly the shit some people on here think people will swallow😂🤣😂

@DoubleDeckerSwimmer thank you. I remember the window was very short and yes one week sounds right. Not enough time to drop a job, my home, my children's education or my elderly in-laws who we needed to get provide food and medicine to in the chaos that pursued from there on in....

@Dghgcotcitc

Just to reassure lots of New Zealanders my elderly relatives are alive..covid has been bad but no it hasn’t wiped put our total over 70 population..honestly the shit some people on here think people will swallow😂🤣😂

It was a bit - they’re all gone for a moment there

@Dghgcotcitc a close family friend in his 70's died from covid so unfortunately it has killed.

[quote MapleMay11]**@PinkTonic I'm sorry to read this - how awful for you. Some seem to be in total denial of the true situation.

What I don't understand is that if opening of borders is delayed until May or June, won't immunity then have waned among most of the population, particularly if the Pfizer vaccine was used in the main? If that's the case then with so little natural immunity, wouldn't attempting to open up be a disaster given that Omicron cases will likely skyrocket and spread like wildfire? Is NZ currently administering a second booster dose to prevent this happening? I don't believe I've heard this from family or friends.[/quote]
This is the fear isn’t it. I don’t think they’ve mentioned second boosters yet, they’re still doing first. Wonder how long their My Vaccine Passports will last.