Goodbye 2021, hello omicron

DJ Robert Etheridge aka Dimension, the first Omicron related community exposure in New Zealand. I am speaking to you, Robert Etheridge and Aotearoa.

Yes, he did not wait for the result, which was positive, before he went into the general population. This is not the first time this has happened.

Domestic positive cases went to Middlemore hospital and left before the result came back. Domestic positive cases have absconded from MIQ, which could be considered worse because they knew they had covid.

Why are some people in NZ angry at Robert Etheridge? I would safely bet it's not because he should've waited, it's because it's Omicron which apparently transmits faster than the original covid and any other variants before it. The potential of infection is 'higher'.

Because he is well-known? Other well-known people have also put people at risk: Rita Ora for example.

Because NZ is fed-up of living with restrictions and thought they would be fine, be it because they are an island etc? As I have said before, you are incredibly lucky, please go talk to Italy, Brazil, the US about living with restrictions/lockdowns. You have nothing compared to them. Or even your 'neighbours', Australia. You're an island? That means nothing to covid. Also, be grateful you have a competent government and Prime Minister and health experts, especially Ashley Bloomfield.

I haven't seen nor read it first-hand, but apparently Robert Etheridge said he's been on the receiving end of 'negativity', to put it broadly. I have never heard of him and I love New Zealand, I would still live in Auckland if I had the chance and if I was living there now, I would still choose to live there. So I could easily be angry at him and on NZ's side.

But stop targeting and digitally shouting at him.

Ashley Bloomfield said, and I think this is ad verbatim: "people are not the problem, covid is".

Give Robert Etheridge some credit too: he decided to reveal he is the first Omicron case with community exposures. He could have decided not to. The Ministry of Health probably wouldn't reveal his identity for privacy reasons. Him stating it online publicly could help in containing any possible spread. For whatever reason, Robert Etheridge is also vaccinated.

He is in NZ for a music festival. The organizers decided to hold it and people decided to buy tickets. How far back do you want to go? If you really have a problem, then blame the organizers for letting him be a part of the festival because if they hadn't then he would have never boarded the plane that left the UK. Do you want to blame South Africa, where Omicron was first identified? Or do you want to blame China which is where the original covid came from? In any case, it does not help, the focus now is to contain it as best we can.

It's good the close contacts are negative, but still, I say we need to wait because they could still turn out to be positive. A small and hopefully short side-note, but it is relevant: someone flew into Hong Kong and had 21 days quarantine. It was not omicron, I think it was Delta, but the positive test came back on day 19. I am not saying NZ needs to change anything, every country is different, but it's interesting.

Then I listened to Chris Hipkins and during, I thought: are people in NZ angry, or angrier this time because it's during Christmas/the New Year? What, you hoped in 2022 life would be like it was pre 17 August 2021? It doesn't matter if you contain covid-19, specifically Delta or even be the first country to be covid-free because you can't really travel out or into the country. Domestically, yes, it would be nice to have less restrictions, but this is covid-19. There are many things I want, you want, your friends want and it may happen immediately, it may take some time to happen or never happen.

I was reading a piece of the RNZ article with the video of Chris Hipkins: what if it was a Kiwi who brought it in? What if it was a domestic case? Ok, that's not possible, it has to come through the international border. What if they came from Australia? What if it was like the one case that started Delta? Would you be sending the same amount and intensity of negativity to DJ Robert Etheridge if he was a Kiwi?

Or is it because he identified himself? If he remained anonymous, you would just be angry and it would subside fairly quickly because you can't really keep being angry at so few details?

I couldn't understand why he didn't wait for the test result, but it has happened. Yes, it could have probably been prevented. But this is the now. And the future.

Many unplanned pregnancies can be prevented, contraception is only 100% effective when used according to instructions; many deaths at birth are preventable with the right skills, infrastructure and money, but too many babies die; deaths from being under the influence are preventable: New Zealand, the death toll from roads in New Zealand is often due to drink, drugs and speed, it is the "holiday death toll", it actually has a name; debt can be lessen or prevented by not having a credit card or a mortgage.

Omicron might be present in the community in a big way, just after it seems like Delta is being fully contained and possibly even eliminated. If it is, you will handle it, have faith in Jacinda Ardern and Ashley Bloomfield.

Aroha

Kia kaha.

I think if I was living in NZ during the pandemic, I would feel better because I would be on the ground. But if I had never left I don't think I'd know how much I love it. I would fly there in the pandemic if I could, my love is stronger and transcends MIQ and what you have to do to travel. I'd be so happy to be home and be there during covid.

- A.M.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara

Oh Wellington. Auckland, Christchurch and you're the last of the well-known and 'big' cities to have covid-19 in the community.

New Zealand is the only place I have a physical reaction to when I hear about covid. This has been so for a while now. It goes away after I've calmed down and even when I'm going through it I know it will fade or stabilize rather. I think it's because of the immense love I hold. I have never reacted nor felt like this to anyone and anything else, ever.

I know my reaction isn't solely because of covid in a way or maybe I should say the underlying sources aren't only caused by covid. Yes, when I read about covid in NZ, it provokes such a reaction but there is another reason why.

This first case in Wellington is an essential worker who travelled from Auckland and an employee of a construction company. There is potential large spread.

And not necessarily that it matters, but Wellington is the capital and where government and Parliament is, where the covid live updates are. Of course you can't really control covid, but it was a good look Wellington didn't have it in its community in the covid context. On the flip side, it didn't have covid in its community for a while. Just over 3 months since the country was plunged into level 4 lockdown. But in the grand scheme of things, covid is indiscriminate, the only discrimination it seems to have currently is unvaccinated people because scientists created protective formulas. However, breakthrough infections exist. And non-eligible people for the vaccine.

Wellington. New Zealand.

Now the risk for Bloomfield, Jacinda, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson to be infected is higher. Yes they are human and yes, it's always the minority that are in government whether you agree or not with this fact, but it is better government be uninfected by covid. And it's not just one. Imagine Jacinda is infected, the chain of transmission could spread super fast through the government employees.

And New Zealand doesn't have enough infrastructure in quantity to handle covid. The strategy is to use infrastructure smartly but quantity can and probably will overwhelm. This is for most things. Examples: you have two countries at war, both armies are highly trained but with time the one with 100 000 soldiers will be conquered by the one with 400 00; a fast food outlet receives 1000 orders at the same time and in most joints there are not the same number of staff as there are orders but with time, all the orders will be delivered.

Time is not an option with covid though, you contain and care for the infected that need it as soon as possible. In some cases, too much time equals death, and the number of deaths in New Zealand is climbing.

People living in New Zealand, kia kaha, take covid by the horns, no one is saying it is easy but live in reality, if you don't everything will be harder. In the long-term I think you will be living with a lot less restrictions but for now, it metaphorically walks alongside you. You may be 'going forward' slowly, but you have never gone forward and then back; Jacinda has never ever factored in the economy, only health, and be thankful: likely if Jacinda considered the economy in covid-related decisions, there would be more risk of being infected, more infected cases and more deaths than now.

My heart goes out to you Wellington.

- A.M.

Google speech to text in 'Memo'

I was looking to be able to speak into my phone's microphone and it type out my speech.

I was sure I could do it with the 'Memo' app, I just wasn't sure exactly how. I assumed I've have to download an app which I wasn't thrilled about.

So I looked it up and fiddled and was most surprised it was quite good at capturing and typing what I was saying. Aha, Google. Yes, I know Google is good at translating, but I still find it impressive because language is accent, speed, cadence etc. Note I did intentionally speak slowly.

Then I tried another language, not English. No can do.

I fiddled more, and then spoke. Wow, fuck yeah. I give you credit for this Google. Accurately typing out what comes out of my mouth is an achievement.

- A.M.