Delta in Aotearoa

This is crunch time.

I read about the first covid community case in New Zealand before others who live there. One case, no link to the border or MIQ as far as they knew, which is their Managed Isolation Quarantine.

Then I asked a good friend who knows what the fuck he's talking about if the World could contain the covid Delta variant, which is the most infectious and transmissible variant currently, before it mutates to an even more infectious and transmissible variant, theoretically is it possible we might contain all variants and the original? His answer: yes.

Later on, I still don't understand why masks are not mandatory at level 4 - what the fuck?! 'Advising' people is not enough, throw money, manpower and everything else you need to make people wear them.

Then I thought I heard on rnz.co.nz that it was the Delta variant. I couldn't believe what I heard but it was one sentence. RNZ live had started around that time. I waited. Then they said it was Delta and 4 more community cases, so a total of 5, all linked to the man in Devonport announced yesterday. One of them is a fully vaccinated nurse, which is a double whammy: Delta and double vaccinated. If you've educated yourself, then you know why vaccination is still important and possibly, what it was created for, but my information for the why/what is for AstraZeneca.

The information of the four new cases and it being the Delta variant were directly from Jacinda Ardern.

I didn't have a positive response to the one case and it's got worse since hearing about the 4 new ones around 6.39 am. I love NZ dearly, and I acknowledge it has done well, it deserves praise, but I also know the psyche/culture/lifestyle after living there for over 9 nine years. It's not just about the virus. The NZ government is restrained in its covid response by money, possibly manpower, inexperience and fear (Jacinda said this herself, see sources below). No NZ government has had to handle a health issue like covid before.

It is up with Hong Kong in its response and The Economist's normalcy index, Hong Kong was first and New Zealand second when said index was announced. Aside from Hong Kong's politics and almost necessarily included in that is its relationship with China, Hong Kong had SARS and not only that, was the epicentre. It also had bird flu and swine flu. NZ basically had neither of the three. Hong Kong is an international hub. New Zealand is not. Hong Kong borders China so that is a close gateway for covid. New Zealand is an island and far away from China so possibly and likely it would take a longer time to reach New Zealand. Broadly speaking everyone in Hong Kong can get one of the two vaccines available and the progranme started earlier this year. NZ has only recently started. Hong Kong has never been in lockdown. NZ has and is.

I am terrified of New Zealand discovering whatever "too many cases" are (I'll feel it when it's too many) and not being able to handle it. Ashley Bloomfield is super competent but I think governments who can afford to throw A LOT of money to contain covid, even if the number is uncomfortable huge, they should do it.

Living in New Zealand is perfect in many ways, but paradise, whatever the reason, covid or not, can be broken/dented/shattered. Actually, maybe it can contain it, but it needs to do a lot more. No one can be surprised by the USA or England's response to covid with Trump and Johnson 'leading' them: they have infrastructure, money, but bad, maybe even an incompetent leader in Boris's case.

I will not be surprised if Aotearoa struggles and/or gets overwhelmed or even had to live with it indefinitely, but I really really do not want it to.

Everyone, wear a fucking mask at all times outside the house.

New Zealand, show the World you can efficiently keep covid/Delta out of the community.

Jacinda Ardern, show the World what a young, a woman, a working mum country leader can do, among a majority of leaders who are male.

You could be the covid fighters.

- A.M.