Delta variant confirmed in New Zealand; virus case total increases to 7

Here we go again.

Officials have said the latest outbreak has no obvious connections to the border

the world's first viral virgin birth then?

thought the powers-that-be (everywhere) would have figured out by now that if you allow people to jet about the planet, the plague will travel with them....

They just announced that genome sequencing shows it is from the NSW breakout, so it was bought over by somebody traveling from there. Also, it's 7 cases now, and they expect more.

So many claimed that NZ was smart, but in reality the plan (if you can call it a plan) was to close the borders and wait for the rest of us to do the Job then once we got things done NZ would reopen.

That was May 2020 we are now August 2021 and NZ is still closed even the supposed NZ economic recovery is now tanking as the government now scrambles to get Vaccine and get the population vaccinated a population that believed the illusion they were safe without the vaccine.

It is interesting to read some here that complained about Japan's early restrictions of not letting returning foreign residents in but at the same time praise NZ that wouldn't let anyone in or out.

No one have managed to prevent Delta Variant, New Zealand could have been the one but not anymore.

Maybe Larry Page brought it in.

Maybe Larry Page brought it in.

Or wild birds..

That was May 2020 we are now August 2021 and NZ is still closed even the supposed NZ economic recovery is now tanking as the government now scrambles to get Vaccine and get the population vaccinated a population that believed the illusion they were safe without the vaccine.

The biggest danger we face is some future variant of the virus that is deadlier and untreatable. As long as the virus continues to circulate globally in both the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, this threat exists. The vaccine is very effective at doing what it was designed to do (reduce severe symptoms) but it's not a substitute for strict quarantines and keeping the borders closed.

So many claimed that NZ was smart, but in reality the plan (if you can call it a plan) was to close the borders and wait for the rest of us to do the Job then once we got things done NZ would reopen.

That was May 2020 we are now August 2021 and NZ is still closed even the supposed NZ economic recovery is now tanking as the government now scrambles to get Vaccine and get the population vaccinated a population that believed the illusion they were safe without the vaccine.

NZ's economy is booming, thats a fact so perhaps do some research before posting next time.

Also, this pandemic has been going on for what, 2 years now? - how many months of those 2 years have NZ'ders been able to carry on as normal without ANY local restrictions - probably 20months. Ask any NZ'der where they would have rather spent the last 2 years, in NZ or anywhere else - I already know their answers...

M3M3M3Today  11:38 am JST

The vaccine is very effective at doing what it was designed to do (reduce severe symptoms) but it's not a substitute for strict quarantines and keeping the borders closed.

Have you ever studied history.

Go back, look at past pandemics and plagues, see how well the "close the castle gates and lock ourselves in and wait" worked.

Hint, it didn't and won't this time.

why? Because no matter what NZ tries there will be someplace in this world where they won't or cannot lock the doors, get the vaccine etc .

This is reality.

NZ already announced their plan to start opening up borders early next year, once the NZ population is mostly vaccinated (scheduled Dec). They will start with only letting in vaccinated travelers from certain countries then expand out to more countries.

I don't see any problem with that plan as their economy is doing well.

nonu6976Today  11:39 am JST

NZ's economy is booming, thats a fact so perhaps do some research before posting next time.

Also, this pandemic has been going on for what, 2 years now? - how many months of those 2 years have NZ'ders been able to carry on as normal without ANY local restrictions - probably 20months. Ask any NZ'der where they would have rather spent the last 2 years, in NZ or anywhere else - I already know their answers...

You should look at more recent news on the NZ economy.

The little bump up that everyone called a great rebound is now looking very different.

https://www.ft.com/content/2a127489-1e43-4c31-817c-b607985fc0ea

FT is subscription only so I cannot read.

Anyway, heres at article from 2 days ago saying their economy is actually overheating, so they may need to raise interest rates to cool it down...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-15/new-zealand-expected-to-raise-rates-to-cool-overheating-economy

Regardless, it is clear the economy is currently doing very well - GDP is relatively good and unemployment is low.

nonu6976Today  11:50 am JST

You forgot to include vaccinated plus 14 days quarantine.

That will not help the once strong now gone tourism.

It was one factor in many major film and TV productions to call it quits in NZ as they expect this year opening and no quarantine for those vaccinated like other locations such as Canada, the USA, UK and the EU.

And I get it, my friend's Japanese production company chose NZ over Canada for their TV drama filming site because of tax breaks etc.. but now they got tired of delay after delay and cancelled chosing to film in Canada with fewer restrictions and no 14 quarantine as long as they are fully vaccinated.

Several other far bigger productions have also said they are pulling out of NZ

You forgot to include vaccinated plus 14 days quarantine.

not true, they will also reduce the quarantine period - what to has not been decided but that is the intention. In addition they will also consider home quarantine as well - they are not stupid, they know there is no point in allowing folks in if the quarantine rules are not relaxed.

yep, I agree with you on the TV productions, but thats the choice the NZ government has made. I don't think they will win the argument with the NZ public of letting in folks in from overseas to film TV/movies while NZ'ders overseas are still trying to get back home.

Anyway, my point is I don't have any issue with the way they have dealt with covid - if the economy was in the toilet and unemployment was high, then yes, but that is not the case and if they get everyone vaccinated by Dec as scheduled, they will be in a very good position.

I feel sorry for the folks in NZ people in other countries are getting on with their lives.

Australia (and New Zealand) both have very strong biosecurity policies at the borders and customs to prevent invasive species from getting in, and they have been very strict about this, gaining support from across the political spectrum. I presume this, along with how both countries tend to be very stringent in terms of immigration (especially Australia) led them to have a hard lockdown of the borders followed by hard lockdowns within the country. Biosecurity has always been a major priority for these countries. New Zealand also has the benefit of being sheltered by Australia.

I feel sorry for the folks in NZ people in other countries are getting on with their lives.

Dont feel sorry for them. Kiwis have had more freedom and less deaths than anywhere for the past year and a half.

Hope they get on top of this soon, ramp up that snail-paced vax programme, and get back to the full stadiums and pubs most of us envy.

Australia GDP growth since the beginning 2021 in between 1.8~3.5% even with lock downs, last I checked that was far better than Japan and most other 1st world economies

A certain member of the comment section is regularly ridiculed for what most everyone here says is her over the top reaction to the virus and her claimed near isolation.

Now what would be the reaction of people in this comment section if I said my family and I have locked ourselves in our home 24/7 no one in no one out. We only order online and screen all delivery people keeping a considerable distance make them leave the order outside and leave, only then opening the door just long enough to get the package, etc...and we continued to do this for over a year.! What would your reaction be to us doing this?

Well welcome to New Zealand!

See how crazy it sounds when putting it in a more relatable way.

I feel sorry for the folks in NZ people in other countries are getting on with their lives.

global covid pandemic 208 million infected 4.2 million deaths,

NZ 3000 infected 26 deaths NZ got the lives part right

Now what would be the reaction of people in this comment section if I said my family and I have locked ourselves in our home 24/7 no one in no one out. We only order online and screen all delivery people keeping a considerable distance make them leave the order outside and leave, only then opening the door just long enough to get the package, etc...and we continued to do this for over a year.! What would your reaction be to us doing this?

Well welcome to New Zealand!

NZ has been in lockdown in their houses for the past 1 year? Alrighty then...

Seems to be anyhow working steps into the right direction. The ‘successful’ and very low numbers of infected and dead throughout the whole pandemic so far prove that undoubtedly. If everyone would have done something like NZ consequently and right from the beginning, we would have now already a completely different pandemic picture on the planet. That wasn’t and isn’t the case as we all know, the rest of the world hasn’t any such strategy and working countermeasures in place, that’s why they have problems to withstand completely and sometimes still have some new cases in NZ.

It’s an okay approach if New Zealanders only want to be with New Zealanders.

For the rest of their lives.

Some science. Covid can be eradicated if it is not allowed to spread all over the place. Even if there are barely any transmissions it will not mutate into a more contagious virus. So New Zealand has done right by everyone here.

New Zealand is a place where nearly everyone is connected in some way. So deaths and illness are prevented if possible. Is not like bigger countries where deaths go unnoticed and people are just numbers.

nonu6976Today  01:02 pm JST

NZ has been in lockdown in their houses for the past 1 year? Alrighty then.

I guess some people need thing explained down to the last little detail.

The country is the "house" the "family" the population, "delivery people" are the non NZ on ships and planes bringing in and taking out the things the "family" needs.

Do I need to keep explaining in more detail from some?

Can the "family members" leave and return? Basically NO.

Oh forget it! Think what you like, history has over and over again shown that this siege mentality during pandemics never works.

If things like the 1918 influenza, the plague, Polio, etc.. could get around the world often in what seems like record time in periods where it took up to several months to get from one place to another that today can be done in less than a day, try and think how much harder it is today to function in a siege mentality closing the castle Gates!

So get this! She has just announced that the Delta variant came from Australia. But recently a UN member from the USA went to Fiji and became "Very Ill" after arriving. Our stupid previous Labour leader and now UN member Helen Clark sent a NZ Air Force plane to pick him up and take to NZ for treatment. Easy to blame another country when covering up your screw ups Cindy.

The infection rate is very low the death rate very low, very quickly find those infected. Know who/ where they have been. As far as public safety and proactive actions there is not much else that can be done. That’s what governments are for to protect people. And for those who say it’s some kind of conspiracy, that’s on you for having such dubious politicians.

michaelqtodd

Some science. Covid can be eradicated if it is not allowed to spread all over the place.

I think you mean to say eliminated. Yes, NZ have eliminated the virus for much of the past year and a half.

Antiquesaving

Oh forget it! Think what you like, history has over and over again shown that this siege mentality during pandemics never works.

Except that it has worked amazingly well in New Zealand just nullifying your argument. Only 26 covid deaths for a population of 5 million in a year and a half. Show me a country with better success than that?

Officials have said the latest outbreak has no obvious connections to the border

What a bunch of nonsense, so the 'rona magically appeared there it seems.

I feel sorry for the folks in NZ people in other countries are getting on with their lives.

I feel sorrier for the thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people (figure depends on the country) getting on with their deaths, or condemned to an indefinite state of chronic illness after catching Covid.

El Rata

Officials have said the latest outbreak has no obvious connections to the border

What a bunch of nonsense, so the 'rona magically appeared there it seems.

Well, they have identified that it comes from NSW, Australia, so they no it came through the border. What that means is that they haven't identified through which border pathway it came into the country.

Close borders. Lock things down. Go crazy for masks. Introduce other random restrictions. all clearly working perfectly.

Until they relax any of them and then rinse and repeat.

It’s an okay approach if New Zealanders only want to be with New Zealanders.

For the rest of their lives.

and nobody ever said that ever, when the NZ population has a 70% or more vaccination rate then im sure

theyll reopen their borders slowly

why? Because no matter what NZ tries there will be someplace in this world where they won't or cannot lock the doors, get the vaccine etc This is reality.

no actually the Reality is if people want to visit NZ they'll be required to show proof of vaccination or spend 2 weeks in quarantine, and this wont be just countries this will be airlines requiring the same sort of evidence.

This is the reality of world travel starting 2022

Pray for New Zealand

The biggest danger we face is some future variant of the virus that is deadlier and untreatable.

Natural selection doesn't allow viruses like that to propagate. If a virus causes severe disease, it will debilitate or kill the host limiting it's ability to spread.

Do you see what’s happening in New Zealand? They beat it, they beat it, it was like front-page news because they wanted to show me something.

Big surge in New Zealand, you know it’s terrible, we don’t want that.

@Antiquesaving

Quarantines don't work? It's slightly old news, but de Machaut quarantined himself from plague and reinvented western music (while ordering pizza). I suppose he would rather have been down the pub, and quarantines make for skinny musicians. Even so, we're still benefiting from his life in lockdown several centuries later. He also didn't die of plague, always a plus.

Can the "family members" leave and return? Basically NO.

Of course they can. On return to New Zealand they are subject to quarantine, and leaving depends on the situation in their destination, not NZ. Does it make it more difficult? Sure. Impossible? No.

I'm not arguing with you because you are posting facts, but I have to say that it is more than difficult to get back to NZ now because of the total lack of space in MIQ. That has been made worse by Govt sanctioned missions such as the Olympics, Expo Dubai and even (apparently) attendees of a mountain-bike festival.

As an NZ'er outside of NZ and waiting to get back, infrequent flights combined with MIQ basically makes it impossible. The Govt arranging free and expedited MIQ for returnees from Aust. last month was really a huge slap in the face to those waiting patiently in other countries & who hadn't gone on a lark across the ditch. Given that we are now over 1.5 years into the whole thing I would've expected a much better (read: fairer) system by now, such as introducing a wait list etc.

Other than that though, NZ is certainly doing much better than most other countries.

More problems being caused by lockdowns than the virus-Adern has got it wrong…

As an NZ'er outside of NZ and waiting to get back.....

Go to the US and ask for asylum . I think you are eligible because your country won't let you go back. As a bonus you will get a free covid19 vaccine.

kurisupisu

More problems being caused by lockdowns than the virus

A seven-day lockdown is going to cause more problems than the delta variant??? Sure. ;-)

-Adern has got it wrong…

Not according to New Zealanders...

Has there ever been a more pathetic nation on this planet than New Zealand for darunf to do what ita people want instead of what extremists from other nations should they should do? They are the shame of the planet.