Coronavirus - New Zealand
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@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@victor-meldrew said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@gt12 said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@majorrage said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
I notice this morning there are a couple of articles on the herald about how NZ reputation taking a hammering MIQ etc etc.
Articles are premium so I can't read them, but I do wonder if the editor has realised that NZ media is arguably the biggest problem due to their complete and utter inability to seriously question the government.
I strongly doubt that, but I did see this pop up in my feed, which makes me wonder if the media has realized that now there is some value in questioning the government (either that of the FB algorithm is working perfectly):
Bloody hell. I read that article and was staggered no-one had thought this sort of stuff thru.
Sure, it's tricky for any government to deal with the pandemic and loads of mistakes are going to be made at the start like pensions for people trapped overseas - but you get on and fix them. This is incompetence on a grand scale and that it's allowed to continue shows a lack of political leadership bordering on callousness.
Why are you so surprised? Without the distractions of covid19 and the Christchurch mosque attack, what have they done? Kiwibuild? Nope. 1M trees? Nope. Auckland light rail? Nope. Eradicate child poverty? Nope Nope Nope. That's a whole lot of futility
I'm not really au fait with NZ politics, apart from what I mainly read in the (appalling) UK media - which is generally Jacinda fawning with occasional criticism.
I'm just amazed any politician with a modicum of intelligence and/or political nous didn't think thru the basic stuff like this - and staggered they seem to be lacking in basic humanity and happy to allow it to continue.
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If true, looks like mostly good news. Other caveat being that, like many recent decisions, in practice it's not a decision until the 20th:
Covid-19 NZ: Border reopening to begin from late February, to proceed in five stages
New Zealand citizens in Australia will be able to skip MIQ and enter New Zealand from 11.59pm on Sunday the 27th of February, Stuff understands.
This will be the first of five stages of gradual border reopening, set to be announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern later today.
The returning Kiwis will have to be vaccinated and self-isolate, Stuff understands – but won’t need a space in a Government-run managed isolation facility (MIQ).
From March 13 New Zealand citizens from the rest are expected to be able to return under similar conditions.
In April non-citizens with visas – like international students and skill migrants - are expected to be able to skip MIQ.
Then in July the country is expected to open up to non-citizens from visa-waiver countries – like Australia, the USA, and UK, before the rest of the world joins them in October.
These dates are not set in stone, however. Ministers will check in on this decision on February 20 and adjust the timetable if required.
The Government has previously announced two border reopening plans and had to scrap them as outbreaks of new variants either at home or abroad scared them off – first Delta, then Omicron.
Ardern moved the gap between the second dose of the vaccine and the booster from four months to three months on Wednesday, making about a million more Kiwis eligible for the booster - which makes them far more protected from the Omicron variant.
It’s understood that decision was deeply linked to the border reopening decision, as it allows more Kiwis to be protected, and it is hoped it will keep some strain off the healthcare system.
Ardern will outline the Government’s plans to open the borders at 11am at the Mind Lab in Auckland. Speaking on Wednesday, she said people stuck overseas and unable to get a place in the MIQ lottery “won’t have to rely on MIQ in the same way”.
“As Covid changes, we are, and in a way that continues to look after our whole population,” she said at the Ministry of Health in Wellington.
"More at 11"...
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@kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@donsteppa so they relaxing restrictions on what is likely to be the peak or close to it of the expected number of cases.
Just do it now you cowards.
That date seems curiously likely to annoy both the "keep the borders closed because Omicron" crew, and those wanting to return to NZ ASAP...
@hooroo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@donsteppa does that read that we can then go to Aussie for a short break so long as we isolate when we return (and we are boosted Double Vaxed etc)
Seems to be - if that's what the announce at 11am, and if that doesn't change on the 20th.
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FFS, what use is a decision that will be reviewed in 17 days? Who is going to book flights and accommodation on that basis?
As an aside, does anyone know if (under previously proposed rules I guess) the home iso can be a rented apartment / house? Or do you have to have a family home to go to?
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
FFS, what use is a decision that will be reviewed in 17 days? Who is going to book flights and accommodation on that basis?
As an aside, does anyone know if (under previously proposed rules I guess) the home iso can be a rented apartment / house? Or do you have to have a family home to go to?
Anything that meets standard self-iso is fine, which includes rented apartments, airbnb etc. Some hotels might not be interested, however.
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Will follow the rules for close contacts including duration (so 10 days to start, will drop when our close contact rules drop). Arrivals get 3 RATs, one for day 0/1, one for day 5/6, a spare one just in case. Any positive tests then get a PCR test and go from there.
Sticking with end of Feb is to allow 3 weeks for uptake of boosters based on the new 3 month interval.
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@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@victor-meldrew said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@gt12 said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@majorrage said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
I notice this morning there are a couple of articles on the herald about how NZ reputation taking a hammering MIQ etc etc.
Articles are premium so I can't read them, but I do wonder if the editor has realised that NZ media is arguably the biggest problem due to their complete and utter inability to seriously question the government.
I strongly doubt that, but I did see this pop up in my feed, which makes me wonder if the media has realized that now there is some value in questioning the government (either that of the FB algorithm is working perfectly):
Bloody hell. I read that article and was staggered no-one had thought this sort of stuff thru.
Sure, it's tricky for any government to deal with the pandemic and loads of mistakes are going to be made at the start like pensions for people trapped overseas - but you get on and fix them. This is incompetence on a grand scale and that it's allowed to continue shows a lack of political leadership bordering on callousness.
Why are you so surprised? Without the distractions of covid19 and the Christchurch mosque attack, what have they done? Kiwibuild? Nope. 1M trees? Nope. Auckland light rail? Nope. Eradicate child poverty? Nope Nope Nope. That's a whole lot of futility
I point you to the NZ politics thread for a partial list of completed work I compiled.
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@godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Will follow the rules for close contacts including duration (so 10 days to start, will drop when our close contact rules drop). Arrivals get 3 RATs, one for day 0/1, one for day 5/6, a spare one just in case. Any positive tests then get a PCR test and go from there.
Sticking with end of Feb is to allow 3 weeks for uptake of boosters based on the new 3 month interval.
10 days, wow, that rules us out.
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Will follow the rules for close contacts including duration (so 10 days to start, will drop when our close contact rules drop). Arrivals get 3 RATs, one for day 0/1, one for day 5/6, a spare one just in case. Any positive tests then get a PCR test and go from there.
Sticking with end of Feb is to allow 3 weeks for uptake of boosters based on the new 3 month interval.
10 days, wow, that rules us out.
Apparently it drops to 7 at some point:
That means currently, returning New Zealanders will need to self-isolate for 10 days. But as the isolation period drops for close contacts here in New Zealand, as it does in phase two of our Omicron response, so too will returnees only need to isolate for 7 days.
Edit, while not having a timeframe, also:
And on that point I want to note that we will be continually monitoring the need for and the value of self-isolation. The strong advice from our public health officials is that we still need it to manage our way through Omicron, but there will be a time in the not too distant future when that will not be the case. For now though we must continue to heed the public health advice that has served us so well."
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@donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Will follow the rules for close contacts including duration (so 10 days to start, will drop when our close contact rules drop). Arrivals get 3 RATs, one for day 0/1, one for day 5/6, a spare one just in case. Any positive tests then get a PCR test and go from there.
Sticking with end of Feb is to allow 3 weeks for uptake of boosters based on the new 3 month interval.
10 days, wow, that rules us out.
Apparently it drops to 7 at some point:
That means currently, returning New Zealanders will need to self-isolate for 10 days. But as the isolation period drops for close contacts here in New Zealand, as it does in phase two of our Omicron response, so too will returnees only need to isolate for 7 days.
Edit, while not having a timeframe, also:
And on that point I want to note that we will be continually monitoring the need for and the value of self-isolation. The strong advice from our public health officials is that we still need it to manage our way through Omicron, but there will be a time in the not too distant future when that will not be the case. For now though we must continue to heed the public health advice that has served us so well."
Monitoring the need for it to go down or up, I imagine...
So glad I got vaccinated, feels great to be free again
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Um...Am I missing something? Why Australia first? Their numbers are as bad as anyone's.....actually worse than some other countries. What is the rationale?
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@old-samurai-jack said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Um...Am I missing something? Why Australia first? Their numbers are as bad as anyone's.....actually worse than some other countries. What is the rationale?
Not stated, but my guess is so the recent batch of travellers stuck when the bubble popped can get back. Also it's where most offshore NZ citizens and residents are, so will have the biggest single positive impact.
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@old-samurai-jack said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Um...Am I missing something? Why Australia first? Their numbers are as bad as anyone's.....actually worse than some other countries. What is the rationale?
It doesn't seem to be Covid case-specific in other nations, more about resuming the flow of people in a staged manner. Oz is probably first based on the sheer number of expats.
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Right on cue (Stuff live blog):
2 minutes ago
PM on why Australia was chosen for the first stage:
She notes the trans- Ta$man relationship is important to us and second "it's close to home".
It couldn't be everyone at once because of the need to scale up predeparture and isolation systems, Ardern says.
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so a "plan" very light on when the need for self-iso will end? This isn't a plan, it's a bunch of loose dates.
How the fuck NZ can be this late to move, watch everyone else, and still learn the wrong lesson that they can "manage" this is beyond me.
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@old-samurai-jack said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Um...Am I missing something? Why Australia first? Their numbers are as bad as anyone's.....actually worse than some other countries. What is the rationale?
i assumed it had to do with several things like aussie having a high vaccination rate, higher than lots of countries, the share number of kiwis over here and how generally we've been very use to being able to come and go very easily, and there are people that we're "caught" overseas that have managed to get to aussie as it close to home
we're trying to figure out, if we went home and quarantined at our folks place. do they have to quarantine too, or can the come and go