New Zealand scrambles to find source of new virus infections

The latest genomic analysis of the new outbreak in NZ indicates it has nothing to do with earlier cases. This is a reintroduction.

The virus in this cluster appears closely related to those circulating in Australia and the UK.

For those naysayers who say that isolating and quarantining doesn't work . . They do. They are a tried and tested approach which has been used effectively for hundreds of years, otherwise we would have long since stopped doing it.

NZ doesn't need to hold out forever. Just long enough for effective treatments to be developed as possibly one or more vaccines to become available. This may be as little as another 6 months away.

We are learning so much more about how the virus behaviors (ie the role of blood clots etc) that any delay in introducing it will have large benefits in terms of treatment options, survivability and long term health effects.

WolfpackToday 01:18 am JST

New Zealand scrambles to find source of new virus infections

Here’s a big hint. China.

The last outbreak of H1N1 (swine flu) was from Mexico by way of the USA. Your point is?

Living in Tauranga and having family in Tokyo I believe that NZers are coping with the change of the levels well. A lot of the comments are scaremongering but I acknowledge that from a local perspective I believe a lot of us did become complacent. However I’m more worried about my family in Tokyo esp with the reported cases increasing daily

I am in Auckland. It is fair to say, this level #3 status will move beyond the 3 days.

It is the reality. As such my household prescribe to the theory of, Short Term Pain for Long Term Gain.

New Zealand scrambles to find source of new virus infections

Here’s a big hint. China.

Seems to show that country lockdowns and travel bans and similar are not foolproof. 

Nothing is ever perfect or foolproof. Don't use that as an excuse to do nothing. A nation can greatly reduce the damage from this pandemic by taking well understood precautions.

On a related note, some news outlets are reporting that New Zealand is investigating whether the outbreak is due to the disease arriving in New Zealand on freight.

As was previously noted, the number of deaths frim/with Covid - 19 are in the low twenties, which is far below the annual excess influenza deaths. So, why exactly the obsessive focus on this?

@Bobby

People scream lockdowns because they are an effective way of stopping the spread of any contagion.

It is probably an effective way temporary.

And just for a prevention during the lockdown. After the lockdown, the Virus will say Hello to you again.

Look now what happen in Europe, Australia, NZ...after they finish the lockdown, the Virus is back!

All countries who had a lockdown, and then start to open again their country fall down back to the same situation like before the lockdown.

The only difference is that many businesses went into bancruptcy and many personal lifes are destroyed!

The problem is that people think, a lockdown will kill the virus. That is completely wrong.

And a spread can be prevent temporary only.

How long will you lockdown? 10 years? 20 or 50 years?

You can not kill the virus with a lockdown.

You only kill peoples live with a lockdown much more than the virus itself.

And as soon as you finish the lockdown, the virus is back.

That is what the world experienced since 8 months.

The impact of a lockdown to the Virus is Zero, because after the lockdown the Virus comes back and start to spread again.

And you can not compare the corona Virus with the spanish flu.

That is completly nonsense!

The spanish flu was 100 years ago, the corona virus is now in 2021.

Times and lifes are completely different.

The lockdown worked in NY and the US Northeast states

They're ahead of other US states in terms of flattening the curve and reopening the economy

kyushubillToday 07:32 pm JST

And just a few days ago Adern Said, "We have been the example on how to handle this virus with our response. Our success shows those who said we were being too restrictive and draconian were speaking duff."

Yeah, who was speaking duff again?

Are you on crack?

MontyToday 06:39 pm JST

@the resident

Further proof that 'Hard Lockdowns' mandated by so many people on this forum (even though not legally enforceable in Japan) - simply do not work.

100% agree!

This is complete garbage, I am not sure what your agenda is, but if one were able to restrict people's movements and interactions, you stop the virus dead. Simple epidemiology, you know what R0 is right?

> I dont understand why people still scream for Lockdowns.

8 Months experience with the Virus showed us that lockdowns make zero sense.

Why do the people not learn from that experience?

People scream lockdowns because they are an effective way of stopping the spread of any contagion. Look up some case studies before spouting nonsense. This is hardly new knowldge; just over 100 years ago with the "Spanish" flu (it really needs a new name because it had nothing to do with Spain) the advice was that lockdowns would effectively control the flu. People ignored the advice and look at what happened...

And just a few days ago Adern Said, "We have been the example on how to handle this virus with our response. Our success shows those who said we were being too restrictive and draconian were speaking duff."

Yeah, who was speaking duff again?

@the resident

Further proof that 'Hard Lockdowns' mandated by so many people on this forum (even though not legally enforceable in Japan) - simply do not work.

100% agree!

I dont understand why people still scream for Lockdowns.

8 Months experience with the Virus showed us that lockdowns make zero sense.

Why do the people not learn from that experience?

InspectorGadgetToday 02:47 pm JST

The approach as worked because NZ was so quick to react in the first round with strong measures, and having high level of compliance among the population. NZ was quite rightly proud of their achievement of eliminating this the first time.

Agreed

Shield the elderly and those who are sick. The rest of us simply have to get on with life.

Shield them from who and how do you achieve that without testing massively, contact tracing and isolating?

Vanessa CarlisleToday 01:48 pm JST

The NZ Director General of Health has always said 'it's not a case of if but when' so certainly not indicative of your ability to predict a crisis or a failure of the govt approach

Further proof that 'Hard Lockdowns' mandated by so many people on this forum (even though not legally enforceable in Japan) - simply do not work. The economic and mental pain, was, as I predicted was all for nothing.

Shield the elderly and those who are sick. The rest of us simply have to get on with life.

Ah, here it is. In the rugby article.

"Like "out of the blue". There were no officially DETECTED cases for 102 days, officially. But how many actual infections remains to be seen."

There are most likely many more asymptomatic people who have not received any check at all. Next week there'll be more!

Seems to show that country lockdowns and travel bans and similar are not foolproof.  

no kidding Sherlock.

Seems to show that country lockdowns and travel bans and similar are not foolproof.  and that the consequences of the panic stricken responses to this are bad.   The news about panic buying and general bad behavior in NZ was both sad and a bit funny....

More people will be discovered infected over the coming days simply because these folks went to work while infected, and in the case of one of them, irresponsibly went to another city while symptomatic. The contact tracing in NZ has proven to be highly effective in the past, so lets hope it proves so again. The big mystery is where did this infection come from - its very difficult to believe there has been community transmission happening for the last 3 months with no recorded case at a hospital or clinic or testing station. The testing rates are also relatively high compared to most other countries, so again its difficult to believe that this was simply an undetected case.

JaneM2Today  01:48 pm JST

Unfortunately, this was going to happen sooner or later. As the world is still seeing a sea of infections, it is unrealistic to think that the virus-free status could be maintained for long.

Challenge accepted. The "Team of Five Million" thinks otherwise.

The approach as worked because NZ was so quick to react in the first round with strong measures, and having high level of compliance among the population. NZ was quite rightly proud of their achievement of eliminating this the first time.

This time won't be any different.

Again there is an incursion which has been met with strong and stern measures . Again the population, after tasting relative freedom in the last 3 months, while watching the world burn around them, is complying with the new rules. The difference this time around is that they are better prepared. There are few shortages at the supermarkets, and people just know the routine. Many workers are still partly working from home as it is the new norm.

Watch this space . . . .

AkulaToday 02:23 pm JST

The man involved worked at a coldstore with good imported from overseas. There is a theory that the virus could have survived on frozen goods imported from the US.

But we all know this was all engineered by Jacinda, right?

> Vanessa CarlisleToday 01:48 pm JST

People got angry at me for saying New Zealand's lockdowns were not going to 100 percent work. Admittedly I am surprised they got this far being as its winter there. But I will predict as I did before, there are going to be more Covid 19 cases in New Zealand. But remember, anger helps you ignore facts but it doesn't delete them. That said I hope those who contracted Covid 19 will be ok.

First of all, the NZ approach has worked and it will continue to work, so nice try. I write this because the overall rate of cases and deaths is relatively low in NZ and they did effectively elimiate the virus from NZ (and they will also do it again). Granted, they are continuously importing the virus by allowing NZers from overseas to enter the country, but they are pretty much on top of this. However, as you write, there will be occasional importation from overseas and occasional outbreaks as there are many ways the virus might enter the country all of which are hard to keep a lid on. Doesn't mean their management and strategy failed. Indeed, you will see the strategy of lockdown, contact tracing, and isolation of infected individuals work again with this latest cluster.

The man involved worked at a coldstore with good imported from overseas. There is a theory that the virus could have survived on frozen goods imported from the US.

People got angry at me for saying New Zealand's lockdowns were not going to 100 percent work. Admittedly I am surprised they got this far being as its winter there. But I will predict as I did before, there are going to be more Covid 19 cases in New Zealand. But remember, anger helps you ignore facts but it doesn't delete them. That said I hope those who contracted Covid 19 will be ok.