Meanwhile, for the third day in a row no local cases in either NSW or QLD.  Vic down to 12 new cases.  

DS248:

 

...

 

Would have hoped charter flights returning people from MIQ would be tightly managed from an infection risk point of view.  Be interesting to know more details re the flight arrangements.  Wearing masks?

 

Up untill last weekend, We weren't overly concerned about the the reported, but thought to be very rare cases of incubation time's over 14 days. I think it is fair to guess that the guests get formally discharged from isolation after the 14 days is up and their second test comes back as a pass. From that point they are free to go about their business under the alter levels of the region they are in. Getting the provided transport back to the airport you were ment to arrive into is optional. It is a fair guess that that flight would be run in the same way as if the general public were traveling.

If Air NZ was the operator, they have a policy requiring masks on all flights.

Oh...  

Christchurch domestic airport,                 11 September, 10.30-12.30PM
Hot pools at DeBretts Spa Resort, Taupo,       18 Sept, 2.30-7.00PM
Taupo Tandem Skydiving based at Taupo Airport, 19 Sept, 2.00-3.30PM
Just Cuts, Westfield, St Lukes, Thursday       17 September, 4.00-5.00PM
Anyone visiting these places at these times should be vigilant of their health and get tested if they develop symptoms.

It does stress that until this is truly over globally everyone should remain vigilant, 
not shrug things off as an Auckland or big city problem. 

As Daylight Saving, Summer, Holidays come everyone will be travelling everywhere and mixing.
Making up for lost time.

I was optimistic. But the way the UK, US and India are going. The UK and US being a big travel link with us. The optimism lowers daily. There are clearly parts of the world not doing themselves any favours with a goal of helping stop the spread on a GLOBAL scale. meee meee meeee.

And these yo-yos overseas are starting to look like it is going to keep on rolling. Screwing not only our own airline by preventing travel. But turning us into more of an isolation island. The end goal is getting quite foggy when not everyone has the same target

Oblivian:

 

I was optimistic. But the way the UK, US and India are going. The UK and US being a big travel link with us. The optimism lowers daily. There are clearly parts of the world not doing themselves any favours with a goal of helping stop the spread on a GLOBAL scale. meee meee meeee.

 

And these yo-yos overseas are starting to look like it is going to keep on rolling. Screwing not only our own airline by preventing travel. But turning us into more of an isolation island. The end goal is getting quite foggy when not everyone has the same target

 

Its becoming very clear that Australia/Pacific - maybe parts of Asia are the only games in town until a Vaccine is widely available

Oblivian:

 

I was optimistic. But the way the UK, US and India are going. The UK and US being a big travel link with us. The optimism lowers daily. There are clearly parts of the world not doing themselves any favours with a goal of helping stop the spread on a GLOBAL scale. meee meee meeee.

 

And these yo-yos overseas are starting to look like it is going to keep on rolling. Screwing not only our own airline by preventing travel. But turning us into more of an isolation island. The end goal is getting quite foggy when not everyone has the same target

 

 

 

But the fact is that if we hadn't done what we did, we would be in a far worse position than we are now.  Our economy is largely based on tourism and selling houses to one another. The housing market has essentially had a huge bail out with interest rates heading negative soon, which will cost savers billions of dollars. This will affect a lot of elderly in the future who will have less money to spend in the economy during their retirement.  But overseas tourism is now essentially dead. What we did allows for local tourism which is still a very large part of our economy. If we were the UK, the local tourism sector would also be largely dead, or heavily restricted, plus we would have had thousands dead, and living in a party of six NZ for Christmas. It is really bad over there.

It annoys me to hear some radio jocks comparing NZ to Australia and the GDP differences, when Australias economy is significantly different, and tourism is not such a major part of their economy. NZ is also eliminating the virus, but Australia is all about suppression, and regular lockdowns when needed to keep the curve flat. Then they have got Victoria. 

I know people in the UK, and they haven't been out for months and it is only getting worse over there. We don't know how good we have got it in NZ at the moment. 

The UK is now entering a significant "second wave" of COVID:

The Guardian - Fear of contacting GPs during Covid outbreak 'fuelling missed diagnoses'

today

 

A study of GP records in Salford shows diagnoses up to 50% lower than expected in spring.

 

Concerns around contacting GPs during the coronavirus outbreak could be fuelling a rise in missed or delayed diagnoses, researchers have said.

 

A growing body of research has suggested that patients have avoided seeking medical attention because of the pandemic. 

 

Figures have revealed a large increase in the numbers of people dying at home, while visits to A&E have been markedly reduced.

 

Meanwhile results from a poll by NHS England, released in April, revealed that 40% of people said they were avoiding contacting their GP because of concerns about burdening the NHS. ...

 

While the study only covers Salford, the team say a similar situation could be occurring elsewhere, particularly in other areas of high deprivation. ...

 

Hopefully this "medical care avoidance" will not happen here.  😕

Also on the flight was the man who tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend whose virus is thought to have had a rare three-week incubation period.

The latest cases were seated near the infected man.

Were they wearing masks on this charter flight? Were they also physically separated from one another? What are the odds that this supposed outlier case is actually an outlier case, and that they didn't catch it somehow during isolation? It appears planes are places that this virus can spread easily. Not surprising considering we know that the virus easily spreads in confined indoor environments, and buses have also been a problem. 

The only thing the MOH seem to be suggesting to plug this type of hole is an extra test after leaving MIQ. Whereas Professor Baker suggested additional home isolation for a week or so  would be a good idea for those returning from overseas. It just doesn't seem right that people exit MIQ, and then can go to mass gatherings immediately , as during level 1, we are very vulnerable. This is now a new cluster and it unknown how big it could get. 

Sideface:

 

The UK is now entering a significant "second wave" of COVID:

 

The Guardian - Fear of contacting GPs during Covid outbreak 'fuelling missed diagnoses'

 

today

 

 

A study of GP records in Salford shows diagnoses up to 50% lower than expected in spring.

 

Concerns around contacting GPs during the coronavirus outbreak could be fuelling a rise in missed or delayed diagnoses, researchers have said.

 

A growing body of research has suggested that patients have avoided seeking medical attention because of the pandemic. 

 

Figures have revealed a large increase in the numbers of people dying at home, while visits to A&E have been markedly reduced.

 

Meanwhile results from a poll by NHS England, released in April, revealed that 40% of people said they were avoiding contacting their GP because of concerns about burdening the NHS. ...

 

While the study only covers Salford, the team say a similar situation could be occurring elsewhere, particularly in other areas of high deprivation. ...

 

 

Hopefully this "medical care avoidance" will not happen here.  😕

 

 

 

Didn't the UK government say that a significant proportion of the population had likely have already been infected with the virus, but never showed any symptoms?. This second wave looks like it contradicts that.  Their death rate is unfortunately going to skyrocket soon, as there is always a few weeks lag between cases increasing and the death rate starting to increase.  Their PM almost died from the virus and he may catch it again. I wonder if they shouldn't go down the route that  Victoria is following. Especially as they are now heading into Winter.

mattwnz:

 

Were they wearing masks on this charter flight? Were they also physically separated from one another? What are the odds that this supposed outlier case is actually an outlier case, and that they didn't catch it somehow during isolation? It appears planes are places that this virus can spread easily. Not surprising considering we know that the virus easily spreads in confined indoor environments, and buses have also been a problem. 

 

If AirNZ was the carrier. Same carriage rules applied as they do now

That's not to say we don't know what happened during the free time leading up to the flight itself.

You may have misinterpreted my earlier. I'm not un optimistic with any of our own efforts. But the rest of the world which will in-turn effect us for a longer period.

Side note, Emirates are coming back to AKL with reduced capacity, but another record breaker due the aircraft

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/travel/emirates-plans-to-operate-record-breaking-auckland-flights-in-january-1.1081564 

mattwnz:

 

Also on the flight was the man who tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend whose virus is thought to have had a rare three-week incubation period.

 

The latest cases were seated near the infected man.

 

Were they wearing masks on this charter flight? Were they also physically separated from one another?

 

its possible they were distanced ,

MoH said there were 86 people on the flight,  so that's too many for an ATR, an A320 seats 171, so it would have been just over 50% full....

8

mattwnz:

 

Also on the flight was the man who tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend whose virus is thought to have had a rare three-week incubation period.

 

The latest cases were seated near the infected man.

 

I saw four masks in my double carriage on Kapiti train today, out of, I'm guessing, 200+ passengers. We are simply biding time till we are doomed. 

Well its not an Auckland thing, seems much of the rest of New Zealand should be especially alert for next 7-14 days.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018765475/dr-ashley-bloomfield-explains-covid-19-infected-family-s-travel

""
"While they were in Taupō they met up with several other families who had travelled from various places around the country, and they did a number of activities with those families over the weekend.

"Those families have then gone back to their places of residence in Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, another Auckland family and Kawerau.
""

Just as school holidays coming up. 

Folks, be sensible, act sensibly. For everyone's sakes.