Welcome to the rest of the covid-19 family, New Zealand. Specifically, the covid-19 Delta variant.
I love you dearly, but you, the general population, need a dose of reality, even more so because you have, since January 2020, basically lived without any restrictions.
It seems a lots of businesses are taking a hit, regardless of the fact many are in level 2.
I am talking to you, the customers, of all 'non-essential' businesses, the ones serving food and drink; selling clothes, books, jewellery, art; massage parlours, tattoo and piercing shops; cinemas etc.
I am not coming from a point of view of helping businesses.
I am coming from YOUR point of view:
- you want to go out but your emotions won't let you, specifically you are scared of getting infected
- you have no underlying health conditions
- you don't want to wear a mask
- you have enough disposable income to buy 'non-essential' products
Note: this takes into account the fact you have not had any shot of Pfizer-BioNTech.
Note note: if you have had one or two shots of Pfizer-BioNTech, the below still applies.
Note note note: the below applies also to level three, but of course your movement is more restricted so obviously only go out for essential reasons
- you want to go out but your emotions won't let you, specifically you are scared of getting infected: control your emotions; also, think of the risks you take on a regular basis such as driving; crossing the road; looking at your phone when walking down the street and not paying attention and possibly falling over or banging your head against a pole; burning yourself when cooking. You cannot control getting infected with covid or not and you may even get long covid, but you also cannot control if you get hit by a bus when you cross the road and if the damage is severe, you could have to deal with long-term health issues from being hit by the bus.
It is healthy to be skeptical, or maybe critically think is more appropriate, about your government, but have some faith in them. Nationally, they have done well, you are living in the country during the covid-19 pandemic so you have first-hand experience. Internationally, your government's response has been praised. And it is international, but the Economist released a 'Normalcy Index' in July 2021 which was based on what seem to be very objective and clinical criteria: New Zealand was 2nd, after Hong Kong.
- you have no underlying health conditions: this is not necessarily a factor as Delta is infecting perfectly healthy people, but it may do. If anything, it can be 'fake' self-reassurance.
- you don't want to wear a mask ie over the nose and mouth: wear a fucking mask if you do not want to get sick or die. And do not complain unless you don't care about your health. Also consider you have basically not worn one since January 2020 at the earliest or March 2020 when the WHO finally announced it was a pandemic. To connect with the first point, you are lessening your risk of getting infected with covid-19 by wearing a mask.
- you have enough disposable income to buy 'non-essential' products: there are many, many people who don't have any disposable income, let alone a place to live or money to pay rent and utilities; go out and spend it.
I will not go into detail here, in another post at another time maybe, but I do not see not wanting or being vaccine hesitant or just plainly against having a covid vaccine as necessarily selfish and against wanting to stop spreading and containing covid-19. I partly, if not mostly, covered this in 'To be injected or not injected: the covid-19 vaccine part I', https://holandt.blogspot.com/2021/04/to-be-injected-or-not-injected-covid-19.html, and 'To be injected or not injected: the covid-19 vaccine part II', https://holandt.blogspot.com/2021/05/to-be-injected-or-not-injected-covid-19.html .
I might also cover this at another time, but if you decide to take the vaccine, and by that I mean you critically think and make the decision yourself, instead of just do it because the government tells you to, or you're a sheep and follow others, it is selfish, or at least can be seen to be, to have the vaccine: who does it protect first and foremost? You.
If you can't control your emotions and/or you don't want to wear a mask, then suck it up and stay inside for any non-essential activity or go out and put yourself at risk first and foremost, and others, second.
If you don't want to wear a mask but do, suck it up and stop complaining.
In general, to the general population, stop complaining and accept the government's decisions or alert levels. Yes, many people are having money problems, businesses and individuals. Yes, you want the choice to leave your house if you are in level 4 even if you don't want to go out (or level 3 when and if); this also means you have to live with other people and/or pets if you are in that situation and cannot leave if it is healthy (for alone time for example), including children who are not at daycare/school because of covid. Yes, you want to be able to go outside in level 2 (and level 1 when and if) without covid-19 restrictions, but this is so in the long-term you can live life with no or very few restrictions and money stability (because lockdowns and restrictions by and large do nothing to help businesses).
As as I have said before, you are one of the lucky populations who have for the most part enjoyed freedom of individual movement since January 2020. Recognize and realize that and be grateful. Also, what is complaining and getting angry going to do, really, on an individual basis? You think the government is going to lift alert level 4 and 3 just because you're bored, don't want your movement restricted etc. when the alternative is being infected and death? Many, many places have been wearing masks, in and out of lockdown, working from home, getting regular covid tests, subject to capacity caps and restricted opening hours, among other measures, for over a year, or a year and a half. Uncertainty? Talk to Italy. Talk to the UK.
Uncertainty is also contextual: it can be nice to not know what present you are getting for your Birthday, it can be exciting to go on holiday to a place you know nothing about and have never been to before, it can be desirable to not know the sex of your baby and in non-pandemic times, not have a roadmap down to the last detail of your future.
I have never been in lockdown so I can't speak to that and I honestly don't know how I would fare. However, I accepted all the government's decisions. I have been wearing a face mask for just over a year and a half, the actual opening/closure of certain governmental facilities such as libraries and sports centres have been affected; so have opening hours and capacity caps for restaurants, cinemas, swimming pools etc.; but we have always been able to go to plazas, go out to eat and drink etc.
Acceptance of the government's decisions makes it easier, instead of fighting against it. Acceptance is not the same as agreement.
I have got my first shot of Pfizer-BioNTech and have my second appointment booked.
Your Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is also a mother so she also has a covid perspective which includes children when taking decisions regarding covid.
- A.M.
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