Wellington incoming... again...

Un: I think today was the first time I actually watched a whole update, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/445439/covid-19-no-cases-in-the-community-after-nearly-7000-tests-chris-hipkins .

Deux: Response Minister Chris Hipkins is quite funny, in his demeanour and at times, his words, such as "Look, communication's always a big challenge when you're moving at speed", 24.22.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield seems tired and strained. This is not a criticism, and I know when the covid-19 situation was intense and there were regular if not daily updates in which he took part, after a time, he took a break. My point being, he looks like he already needs another one.

Not that this is bad, but he is also extremely serious and even in photos, his seriousness comes across. He only cracked a smile when he was asked if he would be advising (Prime Minister) Jacinda Ardern on her trip to Australia. Correction: I am playing the update again as I'm typing and he cracks a smile twice, including the one I already mentioned.

Which is good that Chris Hipkins is a bit goofy.

I also have to talk about sign language interpreter Alan Wendt. He is awesome and I might be falling in love with him. When he first switched places with the lady sign language interpreter, I was like "No, where are you going?!" His demeanour, his physical size, but most of all his visual expressions make it all worth it. Unintentionally, the update becomes much more enjoyable to watch just him and listen to Chris Hipkins and Ashley Bloomfield.

You are fantastic Alan Wendt.

Following on from "Look, communication's always a big challenge when you're moving at speed", the issue of reliable information was again highlighted when Chris Hipkins responded to the availability of information to the general public at 14.22 and around 24.40; as well as Ashley Bloomfield from around 39.52. Social media is for the most part, extremely bad in reliable information and yes, you choose to trust it or not and/or fact-check it or not. There are probably millions of people who use social media as their 'news', which is a contradiction because news by definition is reliable. Covid-19 has more than ever shown what stupid and illogical 'information' people will believe and trust and not fact-check. An unhealthy chunk of people likely get their so-called 'news' from social media. I, for one, covid or not, am really hot on reliable sources.

- A.M.

Source:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-new-zealands-new-hero-and-its-not-ashley-bloomfield/ZSATQN57K6LWSK27JUZSKXAWHQ/

Wellington incoming...

This is the first post I'm typing and publishing 'as it happens'. So it may be quite 'raw'.

As a consequence of covid-19, Wellington will be at level 2 from 18h on Wednesday 23 June until 23h59 on Sunday 27 June.

One personal observation: even before the media conference at 13h today and still now, it has not been announced what covid-19 (variant) the traveller from Sydney has.

This is also another reason you do not have lax border and travel restrictions, as I have said before, for example, in 'Happy Valentine's Day New Zealand', https://holandt.blogspot.com/2021/02/happy-valentines-day-new-zealand-3.html. No, New Zealand's border and travel restrictions are not the strictest in the World. Yes, it has done well in keeping covid-19 out of the country and general population but it is not as stellar as media have reported in my opinion. Culture and psyche play a contributing factor and the majority of Kiwis don't have one to react to covid. Not only is it not in Kiwi culture to wear a mask, they were one of the countries who made it mandatory to wear masks the latest, in August 2020, depending on the alert level and circumstances.

I am not slamming NZ and only NZ. Taiwan has had a spike in cases and their response to covid-19 has been praised. But it has handled covid better than NZ. Remember lockdown in Auckland in February? Slip ups. That should never have happened. Viet Nam also had a good, possibly great, response, and it had a large spike too, this year.

There's a possibility covid-19 has travelled outside Wellington too, Tauranga has not had results back, negative or positive. If the Sydney traveller has a more infectious variant, then hold on to your emotions and, practically and concretely, your hats.

It is also Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Covid anywhere is not good, or even in a city, but the capital? Not a good image. In New Zealand, they do seem to by and large, social distance. One does not have to, I can tell you that, but it is preferable. However, it will quickly become unenjoyable to stand 1 or 2 metres away from another human being.

Ironically but not surprisingly, around 12h40 New Zealand time today, https://covid19.govt.nz/ and https://www.stuff.co.nz/ were down, but were back online at 13h04 and 12h53 respectively - I would say it's down to the website not being capable of handling traffic, rather than updating it with the latest information. rnz.co.nz, however, never went down.

- A.M.

I have to add I love what Response Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday (I read it yesterday, but am typing this today, on the 24th): "We can contact trace our way out of it", https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/445344/live-updates-on-sydney-covid-19-case-wellington-to-move-to-alert-level-2. I actually snorted.

                                                 

    

                                                                                               

Heat and humidity

Heat is not a problem to deal with. Humidity is. If you don't know what humidity is, then you don't understand. If you don't know what humidity is, then you have less of a reason to defend your belief heat is hard to deal with.

You can avoid heat and/or cool your body down. When it is humid, humidity is everywhere and you can't escape it. You can probably use a de-humidifier, but if you are outside your house, I doubt you're going to take a de-humidifier with you (on public transport, to the toilet etc).

You can temporarily stop sweating from humidity, but then within a few minutes, you will start again. You can stop sweating from heat and not start again.

Living in 30-35 on a regular basis is fine. Living in 70-80% humidity, sometimes more, on a regular basis, is not fine. You disbelieve those figures? That is coming from you.

I have lived in 30-35 celsisus regularly to make such a statement. I have lived in 70-80% humidity, sometimes more, on a regular basis, to make such a statement. When within 15 minutes you go from not sweating to sweating, that is quite frankly unacceptable to me. When you have done both or at least experienced humidity, then you can talk to me.

I have experience of different climates: New Zealand, Canada, France, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Viet Nam, Beijing.

I would not say I have a solution to fight humidity, but the below may help before you go to sleep. I don't include a de-humidifier as I have never used one myself, but I have been present when one has been used (I was staying at someone's house in humidity-free New Zealand and it was really effective - it felt much drier afterwards).

- Turn on your aircon if you have one

- Have a cold shower

- Only wear underwear

- Drink a cold glass of water

- Turn off your aircon

- Go to sleep

It sounds contradictory to say this strategy also works with heat, but you can fight heat in the same way. It's a bit extreme if it is not objectively hot, you can subtract the use of the aircon, and then pick and choose between the rest, you don't have to use them all.

In hardcore humidity, you would want to try to move as little as possible while you sleep otherwise you'll just start sweating. Sounds unbelievable? It is not.

It is not unbelievable people sleeptalk, sleepdrive, sleepwalk, snore so loudly, don't snore, smile in bed, move so much when they sleep etc so you better damn well believe humidity is worse than heat.

- A.M.