BEVS

Balancing act innit. I can see the logic .

chocolate cake

I think the right decision today made to go to Level 3 Wednesday, another week or more of Level 4 wouldn't have got us anywhere, except more businesses to the wall, as it is Level 3 is little different and we have minimum two weeks of it.
As it is cases are today and that weekend, exactly what they were two weeks ago (21 cases 6th Sept, today 22), it is not a case of moving to level 3 a week or two too soon, more the opposite and much goodwill has been lost.

I don't think we're going to get to the mythical zero cases, and don't need to. With increased vaccination, people vaccinated can still pick up the CV19 virus and not know they have it, and it's probably more likely with increased vaccination.

Most of these 'experts' would have us in Level 4 until christmas, madness.

We need to complete this vaccine roll out as soon as, and move on. If we weren't so far behind with the roll out (definitely a go soft and go late stroll out) we wouldn't be in such a long lockdown now, with only this last month and serious ramp up in the roll out.
Without the decision to extend the gap from 3-4 weeks to 6-8 weeks for the second jab (which most actually agree with and was being managed likewise elsewhere yonks ago), and Spain and Denmark lending us vaccines we would have run out vaccine in the last few weeks.

jarv5116

I told ya all this 6 weeks ago and got hounded on here for it.
A level 2-3 type lock down in NZ was what was needed and let it rip and control it as best can. exactly what the messiah jacinda is doing from today.
Just 6 weeks of putting buisness and workers on there arse with more debt and achieved nuffing.

Same again I got grief on here for saying the UK is doing the right thing and NZ is doing it wrong now. Jacinda is gambling more now than borris done this year with 80% population vaxed and easing restriction.

All the bull shit about putting lives before money. It was good when it was working but not now it's going to bankrupt the country after 6 weeks. Money is more import same as every where else.

Charismatic

We've already seen Australia appears to be wanting to resume international travel in time for Christmas. What a nice story that would be if they can get vaccinated up to their target level in time.

In the end we where always going to get Covid-19 in New Zealand. We where only ever playing for time. It's unfortunate that the vaccine rollout was too slow, we couldn't quite buy enough time but a good all-round effort. We've had 18 months longer than other countries to prepare our health system for the Tsunami that will hit it shortly.

New Zealand should rightly be proud of what it achieved, even if it is inferior to that which may have been.

jarv5116

Traveling has zero todo with 100% of the population been vaccinated or 10%.
The zero policy is in the shitter now so it doesn't make the slightest bit difference how much of the pop is vaccinated for traveling.
Its more if your double vaccinated you can travel freely if you ain't vaccinated you ain't traveling.

Bo-Jangles

To be fair we've all been party to one great big experiment in which nobody knew the outcome or had the answers; we in NZ have had the luxury of time in terms of seeing how things unfolded elsewhere and to avoid massive rates of illness and deaths.So far, compared to anyone else I have come across, family, friends in the UK etc we've still had greater freedoms and far fewer deaths than most countries and until the Delta variant hit, NZ was opened up to Australia and planning to open up elsewhere. All was looking very positive, until Aussie got Delta and we all saw how things were unfolding in Sydney - we didn't want the same to happen here did we?

To date we've had less than 27 deaths; others with similar populations such as Denmark have had 2,628, Norway 841 Deaths, Ireland 5,179

With the benefit of hindsight does anyone here really wish we had opened up the borders, or wished they were living elsewhere in the world? Not me. Should we have sacrificed several thousand more people? I don't think so.

Were those weekly conversations with my mum, family and friends and acquaintances in the UK that fell victim to the Corona all made up, are there not still many thousands of families still dealing with the aftermath; kids being out of school for almost a whole year, not having opportunities to have proper funerals, dealing with long-Covid, out of jobs etc. I'd really rather not have been in their shoes for the past 18 months and am happy that Jacinda and Dr Bloomfield have done their utmost in extraordinary circumstances to keep us this way up until now. I am also happy for them to continue to do the best they can with what they have and despite being in Level 4 lockdown for the past five weeks, I can't thank them enough actually for being in the still somewhat enviable position we are currently. This too may change but for now it's all good with me and actually for everyone that I know. Personally I haven't heard very many complaints; other than from those that are duty bound by nature of politics or otherwise feel necessary to oppose anything that the Labour part do in general,

We're all getting jabbed up as fast as we can and thankfully that was somewhat ironically expedited by the outbreak we have had, so yes praise be to that too; the Government has responded appropriately, solutions were found and more people now have been vaccinated than was planned.

BEVS

Exactly this Bo-Jangles. Couldn't have put it better .

Meanwhile someone I care for is suffering badly for the 2nd time back in the UK thanks to 'let it rip'.


.

Charismatic

14 today, not great...not terrible.

Tom H

Can't disagree with any of this

We were in a fabulous situation to get vaccinations into arms asap but for some unfortunate reason, both us and Australia were way too slow with the roll out. Plus there's the nonsense regarding the AstraZeneca vaccination, which ironically the Australian Government have done a u-turn on that.

I don't think anyone has any complaints about it all, just a missed opportunity. Surely there's nothing wrong with being thankful for everything that has happened here compared to overseas but also have a little criticism around the vaccine rollout? We got 10/10 for the lockdown at the start (thanks Spain, Italy etc) but a 5 to 6/10 for the vaccination rollout and the exit strategy when that time to open up does happen

chocolate cake

Fully agree. Except I’d say the vaccine rollout is worse than 5 or 6/10, more of a 3/10 at very best, it’s only now reaching where we could have been several months ago, and it’s not as this wasn’t being raised at the time months ago.
(62% single jab, 33% double jabbed, of total population).


Same with ICU beds, no preparations made.

As it is Day 35 of current lockdown in Auckland, and we’re looking at just shy of Day 50, before any chance of even a Delta Level 2 move.

And yet now still no damn targets.

Charismatic

23 today, still tracking along within the expected range.

Bo-Jangles

I think they could have upped the vax number substantially today if only they stationed some vaccinators at KFC and Macca sites:

Would you like a vax with that

Justcol

That on its own sums up Auckland to a tee.
Thank God I chose to leave

Bo-Jangles

Yes it is a very sad indictment of society here, it's somewhat pathetic but also predictable and expected. Oddly people seem to be hold this out as being part of the 'Kiwi-as Bro' culture.

At the other end of the spectrum you have the idiots hanging outside of the cafes, with no masks and no regard for social distancing desperate to hand over $5 for their coffee fix. Mental - all of them!

garethwm

I'm reasonably optimistic that we won't see the level of tragedy that other countries have experienced, provided we can get to about 90% vaccination. I think we are already over 75% first jab for everyone over 12 years old and you'd think just about all of those will get a 2nd.

Then there's 2nd generation vaccines on the way nest year. I remember early on, people were saying 'Just open the borders, there will never be a vaccine.' But people underestimate how many clever people there are in the world these days. Being patient is they key IMO. I hate to think what would have happened if someone like Mike Hosking or David Seymour had been in charge. Probably 10000 deaths by now. This situation was made for a great communicator like our current PM.