Social distancing

[WiseMonkey]

In NZ we are hopefully flattening the curve and have closed borders (other than NZers returning home and they go into an enforced isolation for 2 weeks). Three days before the lockdown our PM put the country into Level 2 then two days later Level 3 then we went to Level 4 (state of emergency) for 4 weeks.

Each level denotes certain personal restrictions, so when we do come out of lockdown, we will go back to Level 3 which includes social distancing as well.

Personally I think she will extend the lockdown, beyond the 4 weeks. NZ is trying to stamp out all Covid cases which will involve no new cases showing up (despite of intensive random testing) for at least one week. Community spread is the main challenge and is running at 2%. It makes up 13 identified clusters which are mostly contained through tracing and identifying contacts, who isolate for two weeks.

It's still a big task and we have only 4.9 million people to take care of. If any cases are missed then this could lead to a resurgence which would be disastrous.

Lockdown is the only way to stop the spread of covid. Larger countries may just be happy to go with containment and allow herd immunity to take it's course. Other than that I can see large populations having to lockdown for many months before community spread eventually stops.

[pulisa]

I suppose it's inevitable that your Winter months will bring more cases though?

[WiseMonkey]

I suppose it's inevitable that your Winter months will bring more cases though?

If the cases of covid are contained or stamped out then, Winter won't make any difference. The director general of health commented today that there will be hardly any respiratory illnesses (including 'flu and colds) around the community as everyone has been isolating in lock down. This means that if someone had a respiratory illness before of during the lockdown of 4-6 weeks, they would not be contagious after this time. Anyone with a cold or flu symptoms now is asked to get tested for covid and stay in lockdown for another 2 weeks, if they test positive, they will be in an enforced quarantine for 2 weeks.
Also with our borders closed (and returning NZers in quarantine for 2 weeks), no virus's will be imported or transmitted.

NZ is so fortunate to have very rigid controls at present and has made a lot of ground. Our number of active cases are declining and the number of those recovered are rising. Sadly there will be more deaths as covid has got into a couple of rest homes where there are elderly, vulnerable people. Some are already in hospital with staff from the rest homes and other contacts are in isolation.

When we went into lockdown March 25, all people over 70 were told to stay home and were given priority for food deliveries etc, therefore very few have caught the virus. The majority of covid cases have been in people 20-40 age range, who have recovered without being hospitalised. So far there have only been 5 deaths and they've all been elderly people with pre-existing conditions. Four of them were from the same rest home

[Panicattacka]

If the cases of covid are contained or stamped out then, Winter won't make any difference. The director general of health commented today that there will be hardly any respiratory illnesses (including 'flu and colds) around the community as everyone has been isolating in lock down. This means that if someone had a respiratory illness before of during the lockdown of 4-6 weeks, they would not be contagious after this time. Anyone with a cold or flu symptoms now is asked to get tested for covid and stay in lockdown for another 2 weeks, if they test positive, they will be in an enforced quarantine for 2 weeks.
Also with our borders closed (and returning NZers in quarantine for 2 weeks), no virus's will be imported or transmitted.

NZ is so fortunate to have very rigid controls at present and has made a lot of ground. Our number of active cases are declining and the number of those recovered are rising. Sadly there will be more deaths as covid has got into a couple of rest homes where there are elderly, vulnerable people. Some are already in hospital with staff from the rest homes and other contacts are in isolation.

When we went into lockdown March 25, all people over 70 were told to stay home and were given priority for food deliveries etc, therefore very few have caught the virus. The majority of covid cases have been in people 20-40 age range, who have recovered without being hospitalised. So far there have only been 5 deaths and they've all been elderly people with pre-existing conditions. Four of them were from the same rest home

Now we know why all those billionaire ba$tards fled there. If you find any cowering in their bunkers, seal the exits for us would ya? Thanks.

[WiseMonkey]

Now we know why all those billionaire ba$tards fled there. If you find any cowering in their bunkers, seal the exits for us would ya? Thanks.

Lol, fake news but love it, bet they snuck in on the container ships and brought the covid with them ... ba$tards!

[phil06]

So it looks like 3 more weeks then a phased return to normality

[Panicattacka]

Lol, fake news but love it, bet they snuck in on the container ships and brought the covid with them ... ba$tards!

It's not fake news. And they fly in on private jets.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/h...ut-coronavirus

[MyNameIsTerry]

I have a nice little place in Hobbiton. It's mostly pretty quiet but sometimes tourists come and ask to see my ring

[Lolalee1]

I have a nice little place in Hobbiton. It's mostly pretty quiet but sometimes tourists come and ask to see my ring

Ha!Ha!Ha! Forget Hobbiton I am going to Antartica the only place on Earth without Covid
i will sneak onto our new ice breaker,just like the passengers off the many cruise incubators snuck off at our ports.

[Lolalee1]

So it looks like 3 more weeks then a phased return to normality

I doubt that it’s way too soon