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Stringent Covid-19 restrictions announced: Everyone entering NZ ordered to self-isolate for 14 days; cruise ships banned from entering NZ until June 30

Stringent Covid-19 restrictions announced: Everyone entering NZ ordered to self-isolate for 14 days; cruise ships banned from entering NZ until June 30

Everyone entering New Zealand from midnight Sunday will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, according to new government directives made in response to Covid-19.

This includes citizens and foreigners, but excludes people travelling from the Pacific.

The restrictions will be in place for 16 days.

Cruise ships won’t be able to enter New Zealand until June 30, when this directive will be reviewed.

Movement of cargo ships and planes won’t be restricted.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said this is about restricting the movement of people, not products.

She said the measures will see New Zealand have some of the “widest-raging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world”.

The existing travel ban has been retained for China and Iran. 

There will be new health measures at the border for people departing to the Pacific.


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A range of measures to assist those in self-isolation will be announced next week, as will directives on mass gatherings and a targeted Business Continuity Package. 

Ardern said government will work closely with the aviation sector to encourage airlines to remain active in New Zealand, limit impacts on the tourism sector and exporters.

New Zealand’s sixth case of Covid-19 was announced on Saturday. The person infected is an Auckland man in his sixties, who recently travelled to the US. 

The man has been unwell and is now recovering at home - hospital treatment has not been required.  

Here is a statement from the Prime Minister: 

The full Cabinet met this afternoon to make a range of significant decisions to further protect the health of New Zealanders and reduce the threat of transmission of COVID-19 in New Zealand. 

First I want to provide some context to our decisions. 

New Zealand has to date, relative to other counties, a small number of cases. We have successfully managed to contact trace for every one of those cases, and are in the process of doing so for our latest one. This has been a critical part of our response. 

Secondly, our smaller number of cases has helped us to manage them in the right place, and with the right support. The majority of our cases have not required our hospital system to care for them. 

The key continues to be leaving our hospital system for those who need it most. 

All of this points to one strategy which has guided our decision making - spread the cases, and flatten the curve.

It is not realistic for New Zealand to have only a handful of cases.

The international evidence proves that is not realistic, and so we must plan and prepare for more cases.

But, the scale of how many cases we get and how fast we get them is something we should do as much as we can to slow. That is how we ensure health services are there for those who need them most.

That’s why we must go hard, and go early, and do everything we can to protect New Zealanders health.

That is exactly why, to tackle this global pandemic, Cabinet made far reaching and unprecedented decisions today.

As of midnight Sunday every person entering New Zealand, including returning New Zealand citizens and residents, will be required to enter self-isolation for 14 days. Everybody.

The Pacific are exempted from this measure, though anyone from these countries will be required to automatically self–isolate should they exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival in New Zealand.

These restrictions will all be reviewed in 16 days’ time.

Alongside Israel, and a small number of Pacific Islands who have effectively closed their border, this decision will mean New Zealand will have the widest ranging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world.

We are also encouraging New Zealanders to avoid all non-essential travel overseas. This help reduces the risk of a New Zealand bringing COVID-19 back with them.

We accept that for New Zealanders currently overseas this is a stressful time and we encourage any New Zealander needing consular assistance to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition to restrictions on air travel we are also taking firm measures on cruise ships. As of midnight tonight we are issuing a directive to all cruise ships not to come to New Zealand until at least 30 June 2020, at which time the directive will be reviewed.

I want to be very clear - these measures are about people, not products. They do not apply to cargo ships or cargo planes or to marine or air crew, and we will be working to ensure we keep sea and air freight routes open for imports and exports.

In short, no one needs to conduct a run on their supermarket. It’s worth remembering that we’ve had travel restrictions on China for over a month, and those supply routes continue.

We are mindful that some items that come into New Zealand travel via passenger flights. That’s why support, where needed, will be provided to ensure that essential air freight like pharmaceuticals continue to be shipped into New Zealand.

We did not take these decisions lightly. We know these travel restrictions will place significant strain on the aviation industry, and we anticipate some routes will reduce or cease for a period of time.

As such the Government will work closely with the aviation sector to encourage and support airlines to remain active in New Zealand so that we can re-bound from the restrictions quickly and not have significant impacts on our tourism sector, exporters, and economy.

In addition to these measures the Finance Minister will also announce an economic response including the business continuity package on Tuesday.

We are also stepping up our actions at the border as a key departure route to the Pacific.  New Zealand has a huge sense of responsibility to support our Pacific neighbours.

As such strict new border exit measures for people travelling to the Pacific will be put in place and include:

  • No travel for people who have travelled outside of New Zealand in the past 14 days,
  • No travel for close or casual contacts of a confirmed case.
  • No travel for anyone who is symptomatic
  • Health assessment including temperature check

Taken as a whole, the border measures we are taking today will mean significantly more people will enter self-isolation, and supporting and facilitating that to occur is critical.

We are already registering all travellers into New Zealand, and Healthline is monitoring the self-isolation process.

Today we instructed officials to step up enforcement of self isolation through measures such as spot checks. It is worth mentioning though, to date more than 10,500 people are or have successfully self-isolated in New Zealand. People know that it’s in the best interest of their community and they’re pulling together to look after one another.

After all, the combination of restricting the virus coming here and isolating it when it does are two of the most important steps we can take to avoid community outbreak.

Given self-isolation is so important, we want to make it as easy as possible.

As such the Government will be introducing a range of measures to assist with self-isolation.

Expect more on this early next week.

We will also increase community support to those unable to support themselves in isolation.

In addition to these measures the Finance Minister will also announce a business continuity package next week, the Health Minister will announce a suite of additional health measures to scale up the responsiveness of our health system to the virus and a public information campaign will be launched.

Ultimately though, the best protection for the economy is containing the virus. A widespread outbreak will hurt our economy far more in the long run than short term measures to prevent a mass outbreak occurring.

These measures, while disruptive, are needed to make the space we need as a nation to prepare and manage the spread of COVID-19.

We all have obligations to limit the spread of the virus and basic health measures is are the heart of that.

However in order to limit the risk of community outbreak when people are in close proximity to each other we will also be announcing further guidelines on mass gatherings. For now, Pasifika and the 15 March Memorial have been cancelled. 

The guidance we will be developing more broadly on mass gatherings will be based on the following criteria:

  • Large numbers of people in close proximity
  • Events where people are more likely to be in physical contact
  • Events where participants have travelled from overseas
  • And non-ticketed events, where for instance there is no seat allocation making it difficult to contact trace 

Again, advice and criteria on mass gatherings will be released next week.  For those who need more immediate advice, they should contact their public health unit.

In conclusion, we have two choices as a nation. One is to let COVID-19 roll on, and brace. 

The second is to go hard on measures to keep it out, and stamp it out - not because we can stop a global pandemic from reaching us, but because it is in our power to slow it down. 

I make no apology for choosing the second path. New Zealanders public health comes first. If we have that, we can recover from the impacts on the economy, the impacts on tourism, and the impacts on our airline.

Finally, this is an unprecedented time. While we don’t have community transmission here, now is the time to prepare. And we can all play a role in that. So here’s my request to New Zealanders:

  1. Wash your hands
  2. If you don’t need to travel overseas, then don’t. Enjoy your own back yard for a time.
  3. Wash your hands
  4. If you’re sick, stay home.
  5. If you sneeze, do it into your elbow
  6. Wash your hands.
  7. Stop handshakes, hugs, and hongi - I know this is counter to who we are as a nation, but the best thing we can do right now to show love and affection to one another, is to switch to the east coast wave. 
  8. Please be mindful of the older citizens in your life. Check in on them, but if you’re sick, keep your distance

Finally, we are a tough resilient people. We have been here before. But our journey will depend on how we work together. We are taking every measure we need as a government, and we ask that you do to.

We all have a role to play. Look out for your neighbour, look out for your family. Look out for your friends.

We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment.

Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.

371 Comments

How is the self isolation going to be policed?

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Injection of an RFID chip upon entry, associate chip ID to home address lat/long, fly a drone over all such locations and check for an RFID handshake. Won't hurt a bit, ask yer dawg....Dawn raid on all miscreants. Provisional name for this initiative: Skynet....

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Well that is the stable door closed. Though it is only kinda closed like, for Iran and China.

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hmmm, having seen the size of an antenna for 20ft+ rfid transmission, I'm pretty sure it'll make you wince.. or mince, depending on where they shove that needle.

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They can follow you everywhere if your phone is on now

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"That’s why we must go hard, and go early, and do everything we can to protect New Zealanders health."

If she had said that 4 weeks ago it would have been a bold initiative and made sense and been effective, waaay too late now

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Even though I can't stand her or any other in Gov't she has actually done what I thought she didnt have the guts to do.
Not too late and not too early either. We night actually get some leadership FINALLY.

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Don't take it too seriously. Due to the memorial cancellation today she needed another opportunity for a global photo OP. This was another declaratory, demonstrative yet meaningless gesture. Something she's become a master of. Big on perception, very light on detail. For example, HOW will it be policed. It can't.

And also, a bit convenient that it's fruit harvest season and we need those islanders AND unfortunately lots of islanders do min wage jobs which can't be done at home or they can't afford to or their employers won't allow them to.

Cannot believe more people cannot see her concerned face for what it is.

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PROBABLY too late . We are still in with a chance.

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Why is it way too late now?

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Not too late, about the correct time.
That call changes the whole all game for NZ in all sorts of ways that we're still ticking through the grey matter...

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indeed, I agree, but according to some above its way too late.. I want to know why they think that.

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Because it is a very stressful time and people aren't thinking straight and that comes out in different ways in people.
What has just happened hasn't had time to sink in and grasp the consequences of the big call. Have a beer or ten and wait and I'm guessing we'll see some chill. You've come my direction and I've chilled and headed in yours after this call. Let them have a vent and not have to back every statement up with facts. It's just a release sometimes because if you said it at work or in public, you are a tinfoil hat M.F#^k'er. Here at least some get it and it's not your rep on the line. Some on here are exposed to some serious risk and that freeks them out.

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They want need to because it just the first step.
The move to self isolate for 2 weeks is just to soften us up.
Give it a few more days max 2 weeks and we will move to full shutdown the same as all other countries with a brain as we cannot handle importing too many cases before our hospitals burst at the seams.
Also all vistors must present full travel insurance on arrival as the costs could be huge if we start importing hundreds of cases.

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No other countries have taken this massive of step this early on in infection rates. A really good step in the correct direction mate. Now we cross our fingers and hope like hell and work hard to contain if it is here in volume. What more could we hope for?

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Agree what concerns me is we will go the way of the USA who are now starting to test and finding cases everywhere.
We need to start mass testing everyone with symptoms even if they have not traveled as I have heard people saying they have all the symptoms but refused a test and keep a list public of how many tests done so we can see they are being proactive.

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A massive step in the right direction at least. No need to stress as it may not happen and if it dose, it will be slow and manageable and a hell of a lot slower than 99% of other countries.

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We're rubber ducked. Nobody is taking it seriously. The cleaner at work told me her husband is in quarantine because someone at the BMW factory tested positive for coronavirus. If he has it, then she has it, then I probably have it. A half arsed quarantine is no match for an R0 of 4.7-6.6.

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Got any credible sources for an R0 of 4.7 or higher?

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Italy

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Got any credible sources for an R0 of 4.7 or higher?
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.07.20021154v1

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A non peer reviewed paper that is an extreme outlier. Nope, doesn't pass as credible for me.

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The Los Alamos National Laboratory is no amateur academic institution. They used empirical data like satellite imaging, and translated health ministry documents, rather than relying on government propaganda. LANL also has a good history of getting R0 correct with Ebola. This R0 is consistent with obvious observations of what happened in Wuhan, Italy, and on the Diamond Princess.

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It will still be possible to contain from this point on if it is flowing through the community.

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Please clarify the relationship between the husband and the person at the BMW factory. This seems tenuous - unless there is a direct link I suspect the husband just wanted two weeks off.

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Not sure. According to the German health ministry a category 1 contact, which mandates two weeks of quarantine, is brought about by 15 min of face to face contact with an infected person. You can get 5 years prison time for breaking quarantine. Being in the same room as someone with coronavrius makes you category 2, and then two weeks of quarantine are "recommended". I guess he was cat2.

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Funny how everyone ridiculed Trump for banning European travel, Jacinda makes us the strictest nation in regards to coronavirus and rightfully so. But she is being called brave and showing leadership.

Partisan hacks much? ?

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Orange Man Bad

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According to the mass media throwing that down our necks and those who swallow it.
Still better than Killary any day of the week.

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people ridiculed trump for his about face and outright lies. and rightly so.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-messag…

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He is a politician, they all lie. What next.. buying a one careful lady driver car off a used car salesman?

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oh good, we wont hear anymore bitching from you about Jacinda then. That'll make a nice change.

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Another sexest comment, that shit dosen't wash anymore mate pull your head in.
Moving on... less than a week ago you were giving me and others shit, that it was too early. Now somehow with one more infection and no community transmission, it sounds like it was all your idea. You've changes your tune at a rapid rate of knots and pushed blame elsewhere. Anyway no hard feelings, as it's worked out the way I and others called it and we may have a beer or ten one day and laugh about this.

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Sigh, things haven't changed here.. But there are now huge outbreaks overseas that we need to stop getting in. Those weren't there two weeks ago, they only had isolated cases.

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Come bloody on mate. Any bugga with half a brain that wasn't following mainstream media knew what was coming and come fast and was concerned.. except you that stated it was all under control, too soon yet, chill you bitches and whingers. Now you would think that you called Aunty J personally and gave her the nod.
You mentioned the other day that you were selling some machine or such. I could take a guess that while selling that machine you may here " yeah, I don't kno. Maybe with the present viruses and stuff maybe we dont need this machine". That could be playing out as you getting pissed at people worrying about the state of play on here. We all have vested interests that impact our view, mood and more without realizing.

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So? I'm talking about travel bans.

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Open eyes, bigger picture.

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The bigger picture, could pay bigger $'s in the long term. Largish land area with good internet where you can live and free from the WiFlu. It's a brilliant move that potentially bring in much needed money.
Park your $'s in NZ and ride this out.
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/knowledgebase/kb-question/kb-question-1…

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I have several pilot friends, so they can do 1 long haul flight, stay there 3 nights, fly back then they will have to self isolate for 14 days? Same for all the flight staff, can't work for 14 days? Well the AirNZ is going to run out of staff real quickly, I guess they won't need to fly many planes either...

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I can confirm air and maritime crew are exempt from the 14 day self isolation.

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Thanks for the info I will check with them. I do know that long haul staff are not allowed to fly back before a stand down period of at least 48 hours… sooo all the flying staff spends at least 48 hours in foreign counties then fly back to NZ …and do not self isolate...

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Jacinda may have just won the election on a campaign of relentless doom and gloom.

I have a small feeling the property party may be over.

Rents are about to plummet too.

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If only. It’s still the only game in town though, sadly.

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What's your logic for stating that rents will come down?

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Several reasons off the top of my head.

A significant number of people are about to take temporary pay cuts, reduced hours or outright lose their jobs.

This will ripple through the economy. Recession.

A significant number of dwellings focused on the short stay tourist market are going to be converted to rentals.

A big drop in inbound migration is likely to occur.

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How many Chinese students are no longer in rental market ( I am not sure but I guess it was large number).
How many Air BnB do we have in NZ (37000) thats a lot of property that may need to be sold which may be the difference between shortage and over supply.
I have noticed a number already on market.
It will be interesting how many over leveraged people need to sell now with the unknown timeframe for tourism to rebound if ever.
Also banks are going to be looking very carefully at valuations and buyers job security.
And the big one how many FHB now have lost on kiwisaver and have way less deposit than last month.
I wonder when purchasing is kiwisaver still in sharemarket and could cause a number of collapsed deals in next 30 days.

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Short term stay for tourists being converted to long term rentals is a good point

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There will be 5/8 of sweet FA of them to worry about for a while

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Plus there will be a not insignificant number of people working in retail and hotspo on visas who will lose their jobs and leave the country. I reckon rents will drop circa 5-10% in central Auckland

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Brock, as much as most people wish/wanted of such correction? - tough luck for NZ, When most of our politicians, RBNZ team, RE Brokers, Bankers are all property moguls.. very minimal can be done there, as their sub-conscious is to maintain de-facto/'stability reason' etc. - In imaginative way, for it to happen in the future? - when new legislation of lowering voting age, more young generations vote for significant/revolutionary changes, more the current de-facto voters into progression being cleared by Covid19-22 - .. again it's just an imagination.

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I heard the virus death stats are strongly correlated with property ownership stats.

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The boomer effect

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BL - she has just won the election by making a hard decision.
The doom and gloom is the background virus reality which is not anything to do with her.

In your quiet moments ask yourself how hard this must have been for her and whether any of the opposition could have made it. As per her parliamentary speech during question time on Tues or Wed the requirement for her was looking after the health of Kiwis, (not someones housing or share portfolio). Yes there is an element of triage in there but she has my admiration.

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Mine too. She has shown more balls than any other politician in the world and because of her, I feel confident that my older NZ loved ones, will still be with us come next year.

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A lot of countries have closed their borders.

Jacinda has been a massive disappointment but still better than the alternative.

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Yea what's with the toughest in the world campaign? It is actually still pretty soft compared to some countries, not just Israel.

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She made a call that no one thought she could make. That's a big change of direction, maybe she could make other big calls.

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She is privy to governmental information from around the world that has caused her to soil her undergarments.

Do you ever get the feeling they are only telling us what we need to know right now.

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Lol Very few think they tell us what is really going on ever!

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I think Brock was talking about people outside the tinfoil hat club..

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Australia has travel bans from places. We have 'please self isolate'. Saudis, Danes have stopped travel altogether from many places.

The 'toughest in the world' thing is a classic example of how something JA says is repeated and repeated uncritically despite it being patently untrue. This is not the first time but god damn if they won't ask now, then when.

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Uncritically is the key word here. Thanks for hitting the nail on the head. Too many blindly suck up the messages she puts out without thinking deeper.

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Well, save the aged and frail, but farewell plenty of jobs for the young. Totally over the top

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Fritz
Despite all the care, support and love your parent/s and grandparents have given you I trust that you now have the balls to tell them that you couldn’t give a sh*te about them as you are just more concerned about your self-centred interest.
Hopefully your comment was made in jest, but if so not particularly clever nor adding to reasonable discussion.
Your comment is about the third I have seen in the same vein in the past week or two; it smacks of being self-centred but fortunately I know that it isn’t widespread among the younger generation; but you do a dis-service to your generation.
Cheers

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Oh dear........
Such a simplistic viewpoint. This doesn't need to be binary, either/or.

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Fritz
Show a bit of intelligence then.

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Why don't you?
Let me guess you are a boomer, a property investor, don't work a day job, so no worry about losing your livelihood

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Who I am is not relevant.
A stupid comment is a stupid comment.

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Yours is the stupid comment. Save a few lives, but destroy the economy and ruin many many lives.
Support a totally blunt, one dimensional policy.
Not smart.

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So you really are prepared to throw your parents and grandparents under the bus to save risking your job.
Sad values.

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Irrational.
Such a tiny percentage of the population die from this. You make it sound like 10% of the elderly population are going to die, as if a huge percentage are under risk.
Irrational. And pathetic.
Btw, you don't care about the tens of thousands of jobs that are about to be lost, mainly young people.
Ps. My job is very safe. But I care for others.

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Chill you two. We are safe for a while. Be happy.

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"You make it sound like 10% of the elderly population are going to die, as if a huge percentage are under risk."

They are..

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-age-sex-demograph…

or for the optimistic side of the argument, south korea:

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-death-rates-by-age-south-ko…?

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*sound of microphone hitting floor*

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What are your thoughts on those figures Fritz?

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My thoughts are that dying sucks regardless of how it happens but it seems intuitive that dying young sucks more than dying old. There's a cost to preventing COVID-19 deaths, just like there is a cost to preventing other causes of death, I wonder how the comparative costs stack up. Are we as a world about to 'invest' more in preventing the deaths of the elderly than we do in preventing causes of death that are less discerning?

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Well said P8

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IF you think this is going to harm the economy, imagine what would (and maybe still will) happen when this bug spreads and we lockdown Auckland, all of it, like Wuhan. People screaming to lock the borders down earlier were overreacting, at that stage most countries didn't have outbreaks.. thats changed, our response had to scale to match the threat.

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Surely there's some middle ground.
Let's see where things are in 2 months. I think this is going to be disastrous.

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It's the correct call Fritz. The implementations of ot are only just starting to tick through the grey matter. Safe haven, NZ could become a place to park your $'s and take an extended holiday, keep mulling it over a lot of positives.
We're in a different ball game now. No lock down's in NZ just to start with.

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You make me laugh Prag. It was only on Tuesday that you called some one a whinger for calling for flights to be canceled. Now you make it look like it was your idea.

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Maybe you haven't noticed, but they haven't cancelled all flights, people can still travel, but everybody now needs to self-isolate. Its not quite what you were calling for now is it?

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Aim high and be happy with a little drop below.

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Right decision and tough to make ; she deserves credit for it .
I do no buy it that the opposition would not have made it however.

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PH I am not sure.
Recent comms from National has largely been about testing, nothing much on border control as far as I can see. I stand to be corrected.
A similar tory govt in Aust has shown how constrained they are by business interests and all they have come up with is restricting groups to under 500.

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No one can be sure of course ; it is hypothetical and somewhat pointless to argue about. Being actually in power does concentrate minds - eventually.

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Think through your comparisons.

We can only compare what this government does to what this government doesn't do. There is no rival no other government (that is also governing) that we could change to.

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She just went up from zero in my book. Still watching and hope like hell she can actually deliver this time but she is looking a hell of a lot more promising in my book and that is a massive 'U' turn for me..

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Or, a set of people close to her have changed her mind, or are now running the script.

The massive change in language points to the second. Also she didn't front (own) the memorial cancellation.

Time will tell.

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Agree

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Something else to think about
200 000 people work directly in the tourism industry thats alot of potential jobs losses and loss of purchasing power.

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Don't forget all the related industries and jobs.
But people like Printer 8 don't care about those livelihoods

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In the short term there are apples to pick in Hawkes Bay. We have low debt and we become a safe haven that attracts money and trade. Buy something from NZ, little chance of infection off the package or product. NZ still working while a lot of the world on lock down, . .

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If the virus runs through the work population, you could expect a rolling 20% + of your work force to be off sick over the next 6 months.

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It will be far higher than that. Average sickness in a large firm is >15% on a given day.

This will be also be consolidated. One diagnosed case in the owrkplace and all would be isolated. I would expect that over 1/2 the workforce could be out on any given day. If we lock down completely like Italy, then obviously we are up near 100%.

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The point of simi closing down the boarders is that we can hopefully ride this out till a anti virus is found.
NZ carrys on ticking over while the world falls apart.

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I think everyone knows it is too late. I look around NP at the moment. WOMAD still going on. Thousands from around the country and world, all sharing portaloos. Only takes one infection...

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Yes. Flatten the curve, is different to stopping it.

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Yep, we are looking at an open work environment, the numbers for semi confined & confined greater.
Also it's why people will be working from home.

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There's roughly 1 road fatality per day in NZ which is tragic (355/annum). So why don't we reduce the speed limit to 20kph for ALL roads, including open roads and motorways because it WILL stop all road fatalities?

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Precautionary Principle, Yvil, red flag in front, carried by a minion at walking pace. Great Green employment prospects, although knowing the state of tertiary ed atm, it would probably need an expensive Certificate to be attained before being considered Eligible to carry that there flag. Oh, and an Elfin Safety briefing before every outing. Cannae be too careful, y'know....think of the Children.

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careful, there are idiots that would run with that idea.

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Agreed, but if 20kph is an idiotic idea (to save lives) surely the same applies to ruining an entire economy by effectively stopping all foreigners entering NZ (to save lives)

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no, one is a one off thing, once we get past the first 6 months of Covid-19, either we will have herd immunity, or we will have medical advances that make it managable. And its not a few hundred lives, its thousands in NZ, and 10s of millions worldwide.

Even with this action, NZ is still going to lose thousands of live to covid-19 most likely. It will get through.

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"Even with this action, NZ is still going to lose thousands of live to covid-19 most likely. It will get through."

That is only the case if community transmission starts. The whole point of this move is to make sure that it doesn't and allowing up to continue our (so far successful, by luck not management) containment "stamp out" phase.

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Community transmission is inevitable. Spanish flu got to the artic, and that was with WW1 level transportation

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It is possible that NZ dose not get community transmission, that is at least the idea of the inward bound 14 day lock down. We ride it out and attract business from arround the world since we are a safe zone. Pleanty of people with enough money to fund a year in NZ. $'s for extended visas or business visas.
While the world burns we stay simi insulated.

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Possible, but unlikely. the 14day thing covers most, but not all cases of covid-19, and there are still going to be contacts with people between the aircraft door and their front door where they could pass it on, and without a guard at teh door of every house there will be some that breach self-isolation.

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Surprised by those comments from you Yvil .

Your putative 20kmh restriction would save tens or hundreds of lives.
Letting the virus in would kill tens of thousands - while also crippling the economy in a much worse way in the process.
The new measures offer no guarantee and those things may still happen - but we owe it to ourselves to make the most of the chances our geography offers.

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Rubbish, the virus doesn't affect the economy, our reaction to it does

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in Italy as well ?

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well, being dead really makes it hard to pay the bills I hear.

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Could it be because people who are dead don't incur any bills?

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Tell that to a probate lawyer.

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Lol oh yeah... or the public trust....

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Balmy comment of the day.
Who do you think is going to be in the mood for traveling around the world at the moment? This is a WORLD WIDE thing FYI.
Have you not thought, it is looking fairly innocuous because of actions being taken? We still have NO idea how this thing will pan out, and to posit that we should just let it go for it, is pretty damned dumb IMHO

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You could just double tap anyone over 60 to save time and the economy Yvil. Sounds like that's your call to save yourself bucks.

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Maybe I'm over 60?

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You really cannot stop yourself can you Yvil...strawman ....and pathetic..

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Well constructed argument frazz, clearly shows the depth of your thinking

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At least I think..not sure were your head is?

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Probably his own vested interest.

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His 2 star motel in Washdyke is starting to feel the pinch.

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Oh boy, you didn't even realise I was being sarcastic about your thinking...

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Please look up what a false equivalence logical fallacy is.

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Driving is a choice. Driving carefully is a choice. Catching a virus is semi-random - you could hide in a cellar until it has passed ~ maybe 5 years.

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Our economy is about to be destroyed

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Yep, all because of panic and over-reaction, it's ridiculous that people are so dumb

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Your inability to understand exponential growth is apparent.
It was time to expand the ban, and the USA, Australia and Europe all needed to be included. It just makes sense to just go to a blanket ban when you've covered that much of the globe already.

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Exponential growth is fine , let it happen have about half the population catch Covid, 2% die (maybe including me) so 1% overall and move on with our lives

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Interesting ( "novel" ? ) twist on "we are 99%" . Are you sure that you are ?

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The death rate when the health system becomes overwhelmed is more like 4-5%.

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Thank you Lanthanide,
Most people miss this fact that with overwhelmed hospitals the death rate is actually much higher. It was one of the first points Jacinda made with her graph...

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And people will also break legs, have stroke, give birth ....

Expect elective work to stop.

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Blood hell Prag, 4 days ago you were calling people whingers for saying close the boarders. Funny as fuck bro.

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I agree, it's gone way too far. Death rate is likely to be less than 1%. Avoid the virus but lose your job, why not?

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people keep saying "its only 1% will die", i can't believe they are so casual about it. 5 million---- 1% is 50,000 people that will die in the next 3 months in New Zealand.
Try to be casual about that....

Too little too late Jacinda. (TLTLJ)

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It's not a trivial health impact, but on the other side of the equation the economic effect is going to be massive.
People need income to live....
Also that's 50,000 people if everyone gets infected- highly unlikely

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Fritz. You are now in charge of deciding who lives and who dies. Look them in the eye and tell them and their families straight. I would say it would be the worst mistake of your life for you to stand infront of me and say my kid, wife or me that they / I'm getting the chop to save the economy.

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It will be damned sight more than 1% if we just let this thing rip, there will not be enough ability to save even close to everyone. Italians doctors have been having to do play god thing and withhold help to older people. You really want that?? FFS

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Was it you that called me a 'girls blouse' or something like that last Sunday for saying the same thing?

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No that was Mark Me Me Richardson.

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Dp

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If hypothetically 10% of the population contracted it (not unreasonable given that is similar to seasonal flu every year) that’s 480,000 people. If 20% of those need hospitalisation within a 4-6week period (on top of the normal winter sick people), that’s 96,000 people potentially needed intubation and a ventilator all at the same time. The death rates will quickly climb.

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Our economy is buysing and selling crap houses to each other, no reason that should change. Probably will though, and we'll be found naked.

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Indeed, and credit just evaporated for most workers.

But how are all those people going to Instagram their glamorous lifestyles now they effectively can't travel overseas? Does standing next to bubbling mud making a peace-sign look good enough when you're a local?

Asking for a friend

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Crazy. 250,000-500,000 annual deaths from the flu EVERY year. CV deaths so far 5,000 or so. If you’re a conspiracy theorist, then call it 10,000. Likely to die down by May, and warmer northern hemisphere temperatures. The cost to the economy is going to be huge and unwarranted. Watch out for more decisions like this going forward every time there’s a “crisis”, so the govt can roll out more anti-freedom laws and regulations. 1920s and ‘30s deja vu...

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"Likely to die down by May, and warmer northern hemisphere temperatures". What evidence do you have to back this up?

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None, that's why he said "likely". Nor do the apocalypse forecasters have any evidence that hundreds of millions of people are going to die from the Covid flu

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Agreed the repercussion from the over-reaction to the flu virus far, far, far exceeds the flu itself

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Perhaps now you are getting it. Preparation was always about the over-reaction, the lockdown. Although I suspect the deaths here will still bite.

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Yvil & Ludwig, please revise the way you both make comparisons.
The two things you compare are not the same.
You are looking back at one, and the front of another, that is travelling forward.
If they were the same Italian health care would not be collapsing.

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agreed -- and at some point soon the restof the world will realise that - but for now all governments have to be seen to protect their people!

this global recession -- which it now is -- will see millions out of work and pushed back into poverty - some industries will be decimated for years to come -- others wont recover at all --

I dont mind the ban -- if it was total -- but half a ban is no ban at all -

Expect world leaders in four weeks time - to accept it cant be contained - and decide to return everythgin to normal -- which will be just enough but too late -- global recession - but not the great depression!

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Exactly, save some lives but destroy millions of jobs and effectively destroy lives. Oh dear.

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The way this overreaction is going, depression is a chance.

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Much better that we all go on lock down?
A depression was going to happen either way.

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*It's just the flu bro"

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I usually disagree with you Yvil but I totally agree with you on this. Some controls are necessary, but this is way over the top.

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Um, im not a medical professional but I need to mention two concepts to you to apply to your comment before you press the delete or edit buttons. Immunisation and herd immunity. Let me know if that is not sufficient for you to land in a different spot and we can look at some other best practice public health measures to manage pandemics like flattening of the curve or restricting community transmission.

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Bloody hot in Ozzy, Hong Kong and a lot of other countries and still spreading.

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Good call.

Yes a bit too much of an inconvenient opportunity to distract from lack of delivery.

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For a real, rational take on the current episode, have a listen to Dr Chris Smith (RNZ Podcast) who has a calm, expert angle on Covid-19.

EDIT - new updated link below.

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Waymad - is that article by Dr Smith dated 1 Feb? Theres a lot of water gone under the bridge since then.

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For all those calling it an overreaction you really need to listen to those working in some of the world's best hospitals in Northern Italy.

There is no way to deal with the sheer ferocity this thing takes over. The general flu already burdens our system. Rapid increases arriving at hospitals daily requiring intubation will lead to others being unattended and resultant deaths. Slowing it down is the best path.

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Thankfully some of the stupid people on here are not running the show. Finally some action from Jacinta but really only instigated hours after Trump made his so still following and not leading. Self isolation is all great in theory but how many people are really going to stay home ? those in isolation now exceed 5000, its impossible to police it now let alone in a couple of weeks time.

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So are you saying less than 1 million people have died from Covid worldwide so far?

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so far. yes. but given the expected toll in the USA is only a few tens of millions without intervention.. so all okay right?

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Indeed, all OK, glad you're getting it

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Nope, you just really don't get it at all.

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Just wait mate. We’re at the very beginning. Let’s have this chat in 2 weeks and see if you’ve changed your tune.

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Kudos to Lianne Dalzeil.

A couple days in South Island have worked wonders. And fixed the medicines on planes - the 5day problem.
The change in PM and language is remarkable. A remarkable change, clearly not her own work.

https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-national/cruise-ships-banned-all-o…

The PM says our pandemic which hits hard and fast must be dealt with by "flattening the curve" to have the rate of cases in the right place- either at home on in hospital if needed.

"We must go hard and fast."

She urged people there was no need for anyone to "take a run on their supermarket".

Thanks Lianne, you gave a polished performance on sky news fronting the memorial cancellation. Great contrast.

Lianne has talent could definitely front as special principal minister or more for medical crisis
(assuming there is nothing to the SFO investigations).

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These are testing times.
This is a miss:
We have significant capacity for testing, Ardern said. "It is there and available." There are enough resources for 550 people to be tested per day.
Medical practitioners would use their clinical judgement when deciding who needed to be tested, the prime minister said.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120279430/coronavirus…

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She's backed by CCP Henry..check your Comms. Now how about thanking the Government for taking direct action you have been asking for for days...come on Henry

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Re LD, read what I wrote re SFO.
(What other talent have Labour got?).
Said so hours ago on the weekend briefing thread.

It's been a tuff week for PM. She was so determined to run with the memorial, but LD was good fronting for cameras and closing it down.

And the language she is using now is a significant departure from what and how she usually speaks. The contrast with the on camera banter she had Paddy Gower is staggering. Hope Paddy gets tested.

Whomever has been influencing her, well done and keep moving her in the right direction. If its LD or whomever, well done to them.

Course, you know, it didn't have to be like this.
Singapore eg.

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yes because when i have paid thousands of $$$ for my trip of a lifetime -- i will spend two of the three weeks alone in a hotel room in one place --- Get real !!

If we are going to do it -- and i am ok with that -- then do it properly - -stop all short stay visitors -- only allow returning Kiwis -- and enforce a quarentine for them --- advise anyone who leaves NZ that this will be the case - so they can make an informed decision on their travel plans

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The right decision, well done.

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Yes but potentially to late. We will know in a couple of weeks. Once cases start occurring within the community from those who have not traveled in the last couple of weeks then you know your in trouble.Contacts become untraceable and then it explodes.

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Stop being so scared, live life, enjoy it. I have some reliable info, life is fatal, you will die and so will I

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If you had grandparents or parents in Northern Italy you wouldn't be so relaxed. I would much rather make some sacrifices and protect our kaumatua. If it turns out to have been an over reaction so be it, but what if it wasn;t and we saved 100's of lives.

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Italy is a pretty different context - high density population, and an old one

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I have an 81 year old mum in Switzerland (which is bordering Italy) and yes I am still relaxed

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Suspected you were an idiot, now its confirmed.

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No, not too late, pretty much nailed it really. the Italian ban should have been expanded earlier, but the growth in USA, Europe (except Italy) and Australia is really only just kicking off. From now on is when there is going to be significant risk of importing cases from those places, it hasn't been a significant risk up till the last week.

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" pretty much nailed it really." - too early to tell - do you not think ? I suspect it is in fact too late ; would love to be proven wrong on this one.
Tell you what - if we are still under 1K cases by election time I might even vote Lab - first and likely last time in my life.

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under 1 k cases in November.. never going to happen. We'll be lucky to be under 1k (total) cases by the end of May.

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Agreed . Look at the bright side though - I would not have to vote Lab.

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I doubt anybody believes you would have.

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I bet you a 10-pack of face masks.

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Lol, I actually need some for my install crew next week. Drilling concrete, just need anything to keep the H&S guys off our backs.

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This new virus is a slight mutation of SARS, such a slight mutation that it cannot be categorised as a new virus but simply a new strain. And clearly a more contagious strain. Read the WHO report. Read the Nature report. This is SARS2.

So now we know what the virus is. ie SARS go and look at the mortality rate of SARS. It killed 55% for people over 65 that it infected. And between 9-15% globally on average. And SARS was halted in its tracks and only ever infected less than 9000 people globally. But we are way, way passed that now. So no, this is NOT comparable to flu or road deaths. If this infects anything like the percentage of the population that it is showing the potential to do, which it is capable of doing, make no mistake... then our older population could be wiped in half. If we are lucky, that won't happen but this won't just be about luck, it will be about how our governments manage. How our health systems manage. China reacted in a way that most countries are not able to. If global governments can react with the same degree of organisation and determination maybe we can stop this virus in its tracks. Maybe.

Whoever and wherever you are, steeped in denial about what this is, read the following links and wake up! This is not a drill. This is a virus that has potential to wipe out half of all the grandparents it infects. You may welcome that, you may hate boomers, or even our whole species and think this is a blessing for the planet. I'm not even commenting on that or any politics of any kind. But just take a moment to consider the emotional pain and loss that will occur if we lose that many of our parents and grandparents in this pandemic and then please think about displaying a bit of empathy and compassion. Forget about your investments and income. Helicopter money can and will come. Read the links and for the love of god, show some respect for the grief and fear that people across the world are facing. Human pain and anguish is not a joke and its not panic. Its real and justified and you are being cruel and heartless in dismissing it.

"From a risk communications perspective, using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in terms of creating unnecessary fear for some populations, especially in Asia which was worst affected by the SARS outbreak in 2003.

"For that reason and others, WHO has begun referring to the virus as “the virus responsible for COVID-19” or “the COVID-19 virus” when communicating with the public. Neither of these designations are intended as replacements for the official name of the virus as agreed by the ICTV".

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technic…

"On 11 February 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) announced that according to existing rules that compute hierarchical relationships among coronaviruses on the basis of five conserved sequences of nucleic acids, the differences between what was then called 2019-nCoV and the virus strain from the 2003 SARS outbreak were insufficient to make it a separate viral species. Therefore, they identified 2019-nCoV as a strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus"
:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-020-0695-z

"The likelihood of dying from SARS in a given area has been shown to depend on the profile of the cases, including the age group most affected and the presence of underlying disease. Based on data received by WHO to date, the case fatality ratio is estimated to be less than 1% in persons aged 24 years or younger, 6% in persons aged 25 to 44 years, 15% in persons aged 45 to 64 years, and greater than 50% in persons aged 65 years and older."

https://www.who.int/csr/sars/archive/2003_05_07a/en/

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And just for the record, I was a Clinical Ward Manager in a London hospital when the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic was announced. I was responsible for all the patient and staff sickness protocols, all the equipment and medicine ordering, I had a 1 year old baby at the time and I didn't panic or worry at all. I read the data that was available and knew, that whilst prolific, the Swine Flu pandemic was not lethal.

This is NOT a like that. It is not like seasonal flu or Swine flu. This has a much higher mortality rate and we have no immunity to it.

I'm not someone to panic on a whim. I have lost money on investments this week. Our pensions have been decimated already. I don't care. I care that we do what we can to stem the potential loss and pain of this pandemic. And selfishly, I care that my kids don't lose their grandparents.

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The mortality rate is hugely exaggerated because the infection rate is hugely undercounted.

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Quite possibly. But i'm not a virology or epidemiological expert. Are you? The SARS published mortality rate, at its lowest, is 9.6% and still 50% for people over 65. I could be wrong by half and still scared shitless about the level of deaths we could face, considering how contagious this is.

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So you work in healthcare, don't give a shit because your job is safe? My son is in hospo and losing his job is a real possibility.
No I am not an expert but experts are saying infection numbers are grossly underrated, doesn't take a genius to realise mortality rates are also grossly exaggerated if that is the case.

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I disagree, I can't even quite fathom the mind of someone who can be watching this unfold, have read the links I posted and still be dismissive about the devastating potential of this. There is no way the governments of the world would be taking this action on a whim. This is not just one government either, it is all governments, ones on the left and right.

I don't work in healthcare anymore no. I run a global company, mostly european and earn in foreign currency,. We lost 5 clients already just in the last 48 hours and are bracing for a major loss of income. We bought a house last April, so will probably lose capital there too. None of that is going to make me rage at Jacinda or maintain some epic cognitive dissonance about the potential of SARS2.

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You and many others are the ones displaying congnitive dissonance I am afraid, in your exaggeration of its seriousness.

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No, they are not, you have your head buried in the sand on this one.

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He was going to loose his job if this spread in NZ anyway. Lots of apples to pick in HB.

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Thanks for the rational and informed comments (as usual) gingerninja. Appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge in an area you clearly have a lot of expertise in.

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If effective, todays decision will just delay Covid-19s New Zealand peak outbreak 2-4 weeks closer to the general election. Whether effective or not, it will cripple several industries, and push us into recession before we even have substantial numbers of Covid-19 cases. We now have the worst of all worlds, a domestic recession before we even have community scale outbreaks of Covid-19.

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Exactly!
Dumb dumb dumb dumb decision

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Please detail then ..Fritz what you would do as a superior smart person?

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Do what the govt had already been doing, but be more vigilant with border control.
Let's see where things are in 1-2 months, I predict they will disastrous

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Be more vigilant with border control? So if someone arrives send them back? You predict they will be disastrous in 2 months but want to wait till then...great plan!

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I think you should try the next 1-2 weeks.

3 weeks ago Italy had very few. They’re now having to choose who lives and who dies in hospitals. It’s not about money it’s about saving lives. If it catches hold like in Italy they’ll be no jobs anyway.

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I would be interested to hear from people commenting critically whether they have any coin in the game like tourism interests, large prop portfolios etc.
For the record my wife works in the tourism industry, I am largely retired with some normal investments. We have /will be affected negatively but once again I am proud that we have JA

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The entire world is in recession - there is no avoiding the financial correction that will sweep the globe.

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Agreed there is no avoiding a recession but there surely is a way to make it much, much worse and the scared people who want to hide at home will be the first ones to complain when they lose their jobs and will be asking why?

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Many of the people who comment on this site are insulated or largely insulated from the effects of this decision. Their livelihoods will not be affected, hence it is very easy for them to scoff at concerns around the socio-economic impacts of this decision.

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Considering the diverse types of employment held by many here that’s a pretty baseless statement. Kind of contradicts your own hysteria as well. Lives will always trump livelihoods. Get used to it. And yes, my job is on the line.

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Everybodies livelihood is going to be affected by coronavirus, just look at whats already happened in the stock markets. Recession, if not depression was already on its way.

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Agree completely about the world recession. However this decision this has brought forward and deepened our domestic recesssion. Job losses in tourism which were being considered for next month, will happen this week. Our recession has just got worse, and earlier, than it needed to be. The action won't have any meaningful impact on the spread of coronavirus, we will have a significant peak in winter or early spring anyway. The current testing regimen is not up to catching this early unless every patient steps off a plane from a hotzone. I write the last sentence as a doctor with knowledge of possible cases which Public Health asked my colleagues not to test. We'll be going exponential in our case count at some stage in the next six weeks.

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Nice to hear from an insider. The quote of '550 tests a day' upthread would cover no more than two B737-800's...so that lack of test capacity is the Achilles Heel of the whole thing. And the evident ability of the virus to transmit via asymptomatic warm bodies means that, absent testing everyone arriving, there's a good chance that only a fraction of transmitters will ever be identified.....to repeat an earlier comment of mine, the sequence is case, case, Cluster, Cluster, BOOM.

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Kate you will be pleased New Zealand has food export industry to keep this country afloat through these tough times, changes the narrative some what don’t it.

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I don't see any country staying afloat, or prosperous, in the manner we are currently accustomed to. I think Jacinda had it right in Parliament - lets try and save lives first and worry about the economy later. If we can prevent total local lockdown, then we will at least maintain domestic activity until the rest-of-the-world starts up again.

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Do not worry housing market will keep o goung up despit everything arounf being crashed.

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This.

A silly virus cannot defeat The Property Clock.

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Absolutely the best option, particularly if it is well policed.

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Had enough of all this silliness, I'll wash it down with a nice cold Quarantini, shaken, not stirred and all by myself, of course

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I am well on the way with red wine, the world is going mad.

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Great day day sailing today...2 seconds..oh well a nice garage project and chilled rose rounds off a good Satuday.

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Italian cruise ship in trouble in Hobart.
https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/coronavirus…

Have a look at its recent NZ itinerary (7th Jan 2020 cruise)...Auck, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Fjordland)
https://www.cruisemapper.com/ships/MSC-Magnifica-636?tab=itinerary#itin…

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Was in Napier on Wednesday. A flash Gulfstream on the runway, heading for Queenstown then California (I tracked it using air tracker.) A cruise ship was arriving, as we were leaving.

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Bagrie 'A recession is now inevitable. The question is how bad'

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12…

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So the decision has been made. I don't agree, but it has been made. Unless we see billions of dollars in support from the government next week this will be an economic disaster.
So let's see them deliver.
Let's do this.

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WHERE are they going to "isolate"? In hotels & backpackers (infecting staff and other guests), at home (infecting family) etc, etc.
And how does the government know if community spread exists or not if it refuses to test people with symptoms?

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This could actually bring in a few tourists. Those who have the time to do a 14 day self isolate , and then feel they are in a very safe country. If things get really bad in Europe and the USA, there could be a lot of them . Look how many arrived before Y2K, in short a lot of either paranoid or mildly delusional rich people.

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No-one has any idea how long this could go on. Very few people are going to throw money away on frivolities at the moment, and not being able to get cover from insurance for anything down to the virus, you'd have to be off your rocker to be traveling under those conditions

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Run the gauntlet and make it to the chosen land free on the WuFlu. Worth the risk.

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Still don't think people are going to travel, they are going to tighten their belts as no-one knows how long this could go on for.

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The ind of people I'm thinking of would come for 6 months or however long it takes for them to feel its not the end of the world. Think people with nuclear shelters in their backyards. Some of the Y2kers are still here, waiting for civilisation to collapse.

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Theres money to be made in others misfortune.

UNICHEM pharmacy in Orewa is selling 50 ml of hand sanitizer for $15.99.
Prior to this Wuhan Flu a volume like that was probably a couple of bucks.

... and they ask us to support local neighbourhood family franchises over the big Chemical Warehouses. NO

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Just got my first cancellation ($873) with explicit note "cancelling trip to NZ because of arrival quarantine"

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I'm so sorry for your financial loss, will you be alright?

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Will all Shane Jones "psuedo students" have to self isolate or can they still go straight to the petrol stations?

Google says we have 1265 petrol stations in NZ. If 99% of them have Shane's guys and there are 2 employed at each - well that's a lot of jobs that can be freed up for young kiwis.

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Yvil. I’m always interested in feedback like yours from those in the actual business front line as opposed to armchair critics with no skin in the game. I’ve spent part of the day involved in contingency planning, which won’t end well for more than a few families if this thing plays out to its extreme lengths. This is getting real. It’s been a sobering day.

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Thanks middleman

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Plutocracy; sarcasm, cynicism, disingenuousness and schadenfreude all in one comment, striving for a new low?

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When I become one of those commentators who likes to brag about predictions I've made, only then will I have reached rock bottom.

Again, my condolences for your financial loss. I can only imagine the grief you must be going through right now.

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This is a business website Plutocracy, correct or incorrect predictions have real effects on real people. I make no excuse for being accountable for my predictions and holding others accountable for theirs.

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Then perhaps you should do a little more homework.

Because your input seems to be all coming off the basis of a faulty premise.

Not that you're alone in that

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.

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There will a massive need for emergency houseing soon.

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More requests from WINZ to house people in Motels? Please no

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Bugger! Robertson's announcing support package Tuesday but I dont think I'd be holding my breath.

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Tough decession but better late than never.

Healthwise good decession but economy world over is finished for now along with with stock market for now and housing market in coming weeks/ months.

Everyone should hold -wait and watch. Last decade boom to take hit and no amount of easy and free money will help. Economy Cycle will takes its course for now.

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Regardless of the announcement today, tourists were not going to be coming here, or going anywhere, for a good while, travel insurance companies have put paid to that.
Just hunker down, it's going to get rough, and hope like hell scientists come up with a vaccine in double quick time.
There is not much else we can do. It is pretty much out of our hands, even out of the govt's hands, so we might just as well go all in.

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2009 flu pandemic in New Zealand - Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_in_New_Zealand
Nz had over 3000 h1n1 cases in2009, but there was no shutdown like this.

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You reckon we should just open our borders like the rest of the world is? Oh, wait.

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I look forward to the government's announcement early this week on the billions of dollars it is going to commit to mitigate the huge economic (and associated social) costs of this decision.

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Relax Fritz. It’s going to given to Kiwis via WFF. Landlords are going to be stoked at the sudden windfall...

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This comments section is getting ridiculous. Fritz has 27 and Yvil has 28 at the time of writing.

Please keep comments concise and refrain from incessant posting. Feel free to post a few replies but repetition of the same tired points is just annoying and will lead to lower quality commentary. You are draining out insightful comments and over time people will simply stop reading your posts.

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Thanks 'Ed'.
I am angry, so apologies. Especially angry when most of the people who comment in support of this initiative are not in danger of losing their jobs, like my son is.
As I say I look forward to the massive support package from the govt this week.
Good night.

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Fritz. I appreciate your contributions and also enjoy the too and fro between you and Yvil, so for me keep it coming, bobbles is speaking for themselves as far as I’m concerned. I too am angered at the avoidable risks our political leaders have taken in delaying so long. I have several near and dear who are vulnerable.

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Yvil is under a lot of stress at the moment.

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Indeed, he's just lost $800, please go easy on the man, he is truly hurting.
He deserves our condolences and respect just as much as those grieving families around the world who've lost loved ones to the virus.

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Thanks girls

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The bug cant be too catchy. The guy who went to the Tool concert didnt infect anyone despite being in super close contact. Also the woman who flew around between auckland and waited in the doctors waiting room did not infect anyone of the general public.

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I hope you are right but it’s too early to know. Those with mild symptom presentation can still be infectious. Purporting them to be other maladies such as sinus infections or hay fever doesn’t alter their lethal effect.

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korea, Singapore and china (if you believe them) are now getting the spread under control they are having more recover than catch it
the problem is iran, Russia whom a building a hospital for only 45 so far?
and Europe in particular the EU is a mess countries all doing different strategies and open borders so still free movement
the USA are slow of the mark and having a whole pleather of private health entities it does not look good for them

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I see a lot if actions that will contribute to the recession but none that might mitigate it. We may be the last country to get Corona virus but suffer some of the worst economic impacts.

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Well I have to applaud the Govt for doing this buy I wish it was 3 weeks ago and I would have liked to have seen a $10000 fine for non compliance

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Read between the lines and you realise aunty Jacinda has done this for the PI sake. She knows they wont be able to cope just like the measles epidemic

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and some of the PI come under our health system so we would fly them here for treatment
NZ citizens (including Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau)
https://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/eligibility-public…

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If they get more cases of corona-virus they will blame jacinda and then not vote for her just maybe.

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So Ok then.

Let's assume this is what we have to do, hindsight will be a great thing.

But if these are the new rules, let's become the All Blacks at it.

We need to be proactive in making the Central Govt, and the banks give support to the economy while they reset a new path forward.

We all know house prices are too high, and if they are going to fall, let's not waste a great recession.

Maybe allow losses to be depreciated at a certain rate to allow them to come down to their value-added cost, and prevent a speculator/vulture capital behaviour.

Helicopter money? Let's not be on the back foot while other countries pull rabbits out of hats.

Let's not go through all this just to reinstate the status quo.

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Meanwhile just hope the delay in lowering the boom will not prove literally fatal to thousands of kiwis. Events could well deliver a crushing judgment on Ardern’s hesitancy over the last couple of weeks. I sincerely pray I’m wrong and that NZ has by sheer luck dodged a bullet.

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Yes, but that now is looking in the rearview mirror.

We need to be looking way forward.

The one concerning thing about all this, is we don't have any real leadership in any of the political parties.

Maybe this is just how we have interpreted MMP, just like we took the RMA and stuffed that up.

But who really had confidence before, and they don't give me any going forward.

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Exactly crisis management is a different set of skills.
Its doubtful our PM has moved from happy banter with Paddy Gower, to big travel ban by her own thinking.
It looks like someone else is driving the bus.

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Why exempt the Pacific Islands?

Election year politics?

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If they really have isolated themselves the inwards to NZ risk ought to be negligible

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Fruit pickers.

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Correct, we have 25 of them at the Motel right now for 2 months

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With the 1918 Spanish flu, a ship from NZ just about killed the whole of Samoa... https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018665029/1…

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because of what we did to them with measles, and some of them naru, cook islands still come under our health system

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People who dont get vaccinations, they dont like needles stuck in them

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That’s pretty racist, houseworks. Maybe a rethink?

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If you stop for a second and look at south Aucklands vaccination rates you will see what I'm talking about.. on the islands thenselves the vaccination rates were abysmal. Gee I knew it wouldn't be long before someone ignored the message and used the R word. Congrats.

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That’s right mate. Double down. Your comment is patently racist. Not all people from the Pacific take drugs. The measles outbreak had quite a bit to do with education, or lack there of and anti-vaxers. So I am confident when I say, your comment is racist!

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Plus the incident the previous year when vaccines were mis-mixed and 2 babies died after they were vaccinated. I suspect the anti-vaxers were onto that like blowflies on sh*t.
I will guarantee you there are many Samoan families right now, wishing they had living, autistic children.

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A new low even for you.

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Heads up all food items produced outside NZ which ranges from pasta/tinned tomatoes/cooking oils you get the idea will be in short/no supply due to shutdowns. The entire supply runs very tight and any issue like shutting down Italy will cause huge reductions to the supply chain. Even now I am starting to see gaps and it is just getting started.

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we produce enough food in NZ to feed everyone,
prices may come down as exports reduce as local supply increases, the only problem will be local distribution if things get worse. most of the imports are processed food so NZ might get healthier eating more fresh food

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But aunty jacinda said there wont be shortages so there's no need to stockpile. Yeah right

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Too right only a few weeks ago minister of health said no risk to NZ.

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Will the students be back now and are the travel bans for china and iran still in place. Yumchar tomorrows lunch

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Looks like the warriors will be based in Oz for the foreseable, this may result in a dramatic reversal in form...they may even win the premiership. I'm calling it from here...warriors champs in 2020 all from moving to oz because of covid!

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The Warriors.. are they still a team?

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there is talk the players of the NRL could have their contracts halved as an act of god written in
as for the warriors where would you base them, central coast would be my pick

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I think they will probably shack up with Manly, the surfs pretty good there and Manly is a good club to benchmark off on training days. The boy's spirits will soar...from the soul destroying gloom of Penrose to the sun, surf and bikinis of Manly beaches...they'll be praying the lockdown never ends!

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Probably to late but better late than never. If your going to finally take that step why not make it 2 weeks ago ? Only time will tell now, potentially we are only 2 or 3 weeks behind where the USA is right now. The whole of Auckland could be in lockdown in a month. All we are really doing is "Flattening the curve", which while critical for the hospitals, the fact remains a considerable number of people in NZ will most likely get this.

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Its testing.
Is this an issue or a problem.
If you were her, would you request a test.
What example are we looking for from these types?

Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin will no longer be tested for coronavirus, despite meeting with a now-infected Australian politician.

On Saturday, a spokesman for Martin said she was feeling fine and showing no symptoms of the virus. New Zealand reported its sixth confirmed case of the virus on Saturday - an Auckland man in his 60s who recently returned from the United States.

"She will continue to self-isolate for a further seven days until next Friday, when it will be a fortnight since attending a meeting with Australian Minister Peter Dutton," Martin's spokesman said.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120281722/coronavirus…

Previously it was reported she would take the test.
It confuses the messaging.

Also the race by kiwis to get back from Melbourne to evade the isolation.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120284444/kiwis-in-me…

Not cool x2.

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i find her attitude quite selfish, i am sure she could be tested no problem being a MP even if she has no symptoms and it would send out a calming message when it comes back negative.
but to say bugger you all i am going to do the 14 days because i feel fine and then i will carry on,

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Further to testing. Opaque words and inconsistent actions and examples around testing. Here is what PM said this afternoon

The tighter border controls were announced during an update by the prime minister on New Zealand's response to the Covid-19 outbreak on Saturday afternoon. She said while it is not realistic for New Zealand to only have a handful of coronavirus cases, the changes would slow the spread of infection.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120279430/coronavirus…

We are getting mixed messages and seeing inconsistent actions regarding testing.

Why would she say this,
Reverse out the negative:
Meaning, its realistic to think New Zealand has more cases.

Tell us how many more...

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i watched this morning and trump jumped the gun google are not doing a worldwide site for people to see if they need testing
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/13/politics/google-trump-coronavirus-si…

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I hear Trump got tested for CV, but not for delusions of adequacy. I hear he has shut down the BOArders.

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JA is not taking about to lift the ban for China today, now NZ shall receive less/no money from: tourism/hospitality, educations, RE etc. - We need investment from there, we need their expertise & strong leadership from there, we need them to open their import border for our export, so in return we can get more of those cheaper toys at the warehouse, If we cannot be friendly to China - Then soon we will be run out of toilet paper and hand sanitiser. NZ, you've been warned.

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We need strong leadership from the CCP? No thanks.

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There never was a ban on China. Businessmen waltzed in.

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