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Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything

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CellarDweller:

--- Quote from: brian on November 12, 2020, 05:40:44 pm ---The difference between our countries is amazing.
--- End quote ---

That's because you have competent leadership and citizens willing to do what they need to do to keep it under control.

Front-Ranger:
Yes, and there are other factors: NZ is an island with far fewer people than the US, and it has a much more homogeneous culture.

Some good news. My son-in-law's COVID test was negative. But I don't know if I trust it. My daughter still has hives. Her in-laws still haven't tested themselves. The whole situation is suspect, and guess who is bearing the brunt? The little children.

serious crayons:

--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on November 14, 2020, 08:43:33 pm ---Yes, and there are other factors: NZ is an island with far fewer people than the US, and it has a much more homogeneous culture.
--- End quote ---

Exactly. All of those are factors.

brianr:
Not that homogeneous
"The majority of us 'Kiwis' are of European descent (74%), with the indigenous Māori being the largest minority (14.9%), followed by Asians (11.8%) and non-Māori Pacific Islanders (7.4 %)."
"Auckland is our most culturally diverse city with over 100 ethnicities and more than 150 languages spoken daily."

Our lockdown was one of the strictest in the world and it seems to have worked. The 4 levels were outlined on Saturday and we went immediately to level 2   Then on Monday it was announced that we would go to level 4 on Wednesday. At level 4 only supermarkets, pharmacies and medical centres were allowed to open with numbers at any one time limited. No takeaways, no bottle shops (supermarkets sell beer and wine), hardware only open to tradespeople doing essential repairs. All building stopped, only essential road maintenance. Everyone had to work from home unless an essential job. No social activities, we were not allowed to meet family unless they lived in the same household. Must keep 2 metres from neighbours and anyone we met in the street while exercising which could only be in walking distance from home.
That lasted 5 weeks and then we had nearly 3 weeks at level 3 which allowed takeaways and click and collect at stores and meeting with just one other household was allowed. That made no difference to me. I did drive to the supermarket about every 8 to 10 days and once to the medical centre for my flu shot (in the carpark). I had friends (elderly) who never left their homes, either having food delivered by the supermarket or by family who left at front door then retreated and waved at a distance.
It did help having a Prime Minister who is generally respected and was on TV nearly every day telling us to be kind to one another and to work as a team of 5 million to defeat the virus. The opposition parties were largely in agreement and the leader of the opposition was appointed to lead the committee managing the lockdowns. The only party (Advance party) to oppose the lockdown and hold marches which attracted a few hundred  got less than 1% at the recent election and has broken up since.
Being an island does help as no-one can enter the country without 14 days quarantine in managed isolation. Only NZ citizens and permanent residents are allowed in plus exceptions such as medical workers, football teams and America Yacht Cup teams (?)

serious crayons:
Interesting, Brian. I think a lot of American opposition to complying with masking/shutdown orders long predates Trump. By centuries. The "rugged individualist / every man for himself" attitudes are common among Americans and have been around forever. A lot of people really see masks and shutdowns as scare tactics trampling on their freedom.

I don't know if it's getting worse or better. But it's definitely part of Americans' self-mythologizing. Trump didn't start it, but he is exploiting it.

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