This afternoon.
New Zealand
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (above) has extended the country’s harsh Covid lockdown until at least Friday.
Via Mail Online:
While New Zealand has been one of the most successful countries in battling the Coronavirus, their vaccination rates remain low with only about 20% of people fully vaccinated.
The strict lockdown means most people must remain at home, leaving only to buy groceries or medicine, or to exercise.
The lockdown extension has been harshly condemned by opposition leader Judith Collins: ‘At a time when New Zealanders have the harshest lockdown in the world and have lost our freedoms because of the government’s failure to vaccinate and secure the border, this move by Jacinda Ardern is unfathomable.’
Meanwhile…
Splutter!
Getty
Meanwhile…
Over the weekend.
Big boned, vax happy CNN Irish reporter Donie O’Sullivan laughs at Iowans for their voting habits and unhealthy life choices. Seat belt/vaccine argument @2.22.
FIGHT!
Complete and utter madness. Trying to achieve the unachievable at the expense of personal right to free movement.. What’s astonishing is how quickly people sign up to it. More astonishing is how generation woke actually advocate that its progressive thinking. Its why we need a fairly harsh aptitude test on the reverse side of a polling card.. Daft eejits would never know their vote didn’t count.
Really? New Zealand has had a very successful run up until now. They had three very short, sharp lockdowns and managed to keep Covid at bay for 18 months. Overall they have probably had the least amount of Covid related restriction on day-to-day life (the only way they have had major impact it is lack of foreign travel; which for most people, isn’t a day-to-day limit).
Depends on how you view success. They managed to keep Covid at bay but traded off a lot of things for this. The only way it could tbe said that this was a successful strategy would be if they had achieved a competent test & trace strategyy and high rates of vaccination. They have neither and Ardern is now politically wounded going into the most difficult part of the pandemic for NZ.
I find it utterly bizarre how people can make such high handed comparisons between such different countries without consideration for the timing of their seasons, demographics or even geography- just to justify this faith based unscientific lockdown madness. The only accurate comparison is with a country’s previous years overall fatalities and even that should take into account population changes.
According to Sunetra Gupta, the only real surprise would be if there was a major outbreak in New Zealand because their annual history of respiratory illnesses is so low that they don’t even register on the global count. I don’t know why that is but as an expert in the field, I am pretty sure she knows what she is talking about.
Dear SOQ
We have been through your ‘points’ enough times to know that you have a small and selective understanding of the drivers of infection. We also, the last time we debated, discussed the Great Barrington Declaration etc. I provided you with an extensive set of points twice – which underscored all of your arguments. You might go re-look at those as you made no response to them.
NZ & Aus are heading into exactly as Europe had for the past 18 months unless they get their vacinations completed quickly.
Rubbish from Mark.
The usual vague claims of having stated certain points before, coupled with nonsense about vaccines halting a virus.
The primary recommendation from the GBD was focused protection which could have been easily implemented if the political will was there- it was not. Common sense things like no staff transfers between nursing homes etc.
Sunetra Gupta’s core argument was and is that the pandemic should be considered as a global issue rather than viewed through nationalism, and she is right. That is a view held by many over whom should now receive vaccines.
As for herd immunity through vaccines- that is increasingly being viewed as a load of cobblers because already, the damn things have been shown to have waning efficacy on a near monthly basis.
Herd immunity will happen despite not because of vaccines.
” primary recommendation from the GB was focused protection which could have been easily implemented”
nope. the GB declaration was a wishy washy “protect the vulnerable” – but didn’t say how you could actually go about doing that from a highly infectious virus. If New Zealand can’t keep Covid out – how do you expect a hospital or old-folks home to be able to?
I’m not a epidemiologist ; I’m not even a printer engineer.
But a quick google search shows that New Zealand has a similar “weekly ILI and influenza incidence” per 100,000 population as Ireland. (i.e. it peaks each year between 100 and 120) pre-Covid (2018). New Zealand (like Ireland) is unlikely to have “a major outbreak” that would “register on the global count” because we have a small population.
Ireland (page 10, figure 8) : https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/influenza/seasonalinfluenza/surveillance/influenzasurveillancereports/previousinfluenzaseasonssurveillancereports/20172018season/Influenza_Surveillance_Report_Week%2020%202018_20172018_Finalv1.0_25052018.pdf
New Zealand (page 2, figure 1) https://surv.esr.cri.nz/PDF_surveillance/Virology/FluMthRpt/2018/FluMthRpt201803.pdf:
I think you’d find if there was an aptitude test she’d have done even better. They still have had much less lock down and many fewer restrictions than most countries.
Jacinda Ardern is another WEF stooge.
They and Australia have their hardest two years ahead of them. Only delayed the inevitable.
This is it.
Well, if the Aussie PM had done his job, Oz would be doing great. Unfortunately, he makes Trump seem competent. Fewer than 1K deaths in Oz, from 25 million people. Heading for 80% fully vaccinated by mid-November, so I think we will be doing the same as most places by Xmas. It may vary depending on the state. NSW is a cluster, thanks to an arrogant state government.
woah, only 20% vaccination rate. just shows you you can do a good job in life, like keep infections low, but something will come and bite you. lesson – dont bother trying.
@Man On Fire (SOQ)
1.No vague claims – I stated I did, which I did. Thats a plain as I can put it.
2. I didnt ever say the vaccine would halt the virus. Just check what you write before you do so.
Its clear the vaccine does mitigate against serious illness.
I’m not sure what you think the best course of action for NZ would be? Lock Down (been there)? Do nothing?
Vaccinate? Open Up?
Curious to your thoughts on that.
Thanks
Calling Donie fat now? Come on.
He’s fuppin massive man. Co-morbidities out his wazoo I’d say.
Although not by American standards.
Also, the three aul lads who got the jab earlier in the day, then recommending others to get it – is only hilarious.
@SOQ
‘The primary recommendation from the GBD was focused protection which could have been easily implemented if the political will was there- it was not. Common sense things like no staff transfers between nursing homes etc’
Mark: No, not the primary recomendations at all really as it was a declaration and not a strategy. There is no way to protect nursing homes unless through vaccination unless all staff are living in a bubble with residents but then you have GP’s visiting etc. Besides you know its possible to be able to work in a few different nursing homes as agency staff right?
‘Sunetra Gupta’s core argument was and is that the pandemic should be considered as a global issue rather than viewed through nationalism, and she is right. That is a view held by many over whom should now receive vaccines’
Mark: No, its really every country for themselves. The longer you wait the more damage it does. the was not her core argument either though.
‘As for herd immunity through vaccines- that is increasingly being viewed as a load of cobblers because already, the damn things have been shown to have waning efficacy on a near monthly basis’
Mark: Nobody ever said herd immunity would be reached by natural means except Sunetra Gupta when she mistakenly estimated infection rates as much higher than they were at the beginning of the pandemic. You can read up on how that went for her and what she has said since.
‘Herd immunity will happen despite not because of vaccines’
Mark: Thats not really the case at all. Herd immunity will probably arrive, if it does, as a result of the use of vaccination lessening the chance of variants.
Thanks
Lol. Bodge be hatin’ on Donie and giving Marjorie Taylor a come hither look. Orange man was robbed or something.
Sounds like you may be having a stroke, perhaps seek medical attention?
Yawn