1533 cases in NSW, 4 deaths.

1041 currently hospitalised, 173 in ICU, 62 on ventilators.

On2or3wheels: The latest data out of Israel for instance proves that the 70% vax rate that Au is initially targeting for a partial reopening, isn't going to cut it.

Ge0rge: 20 cases in NZ, one death overnight.

43 in hospital, 7 in ICU, 3 of those requiring ventilation.

TeaLeaf:  Wasn't our economy running at 80% during no aus/nz travel bubble? 

Nope - it was running along much closer to 100% at Level 1 regardless of the "bubble". NZ isn't a "tourism based economy" - while we did take in billions from tourism, NZ tourists spend almost as much when travelling overseas, so IIRC the estimated impact was going to be something like 2% of GDP, but probably less because the domestic tourism market wasn't the write-off predicted. However if you were in a tourism business catering to foreigners, and airlines, then obviously your business would have been slaughtered.

TeaLeaf:

Ge0rge: 20 cases in NZ, one death overnight.

43 in hospital, 7 in ICU, 3 of those requiring ventilation.

We maybe copping flack internationally for our policy given such numbers, but I know which type of policy I would rather being living under. NZ to come out the other side a world economic power hehe :-) I feel so proud to be a kiwi.

Yup.  If we can put the lid on the outbreak and get vaccination rates way up - in a coordinated manner with optimum spacing between Pfizer doses - then we'll be in a good position to plan an coordinated exit to the pandemic.  There are issues that need to be dealt with, the very low vaccination uptake with Maori (~15% of the population) and a science-based decision on rolling out booster doses of Pfizer to the elderly and at risk community.

Fred99: There are issues that need to be dealt with, the very low vaccination uptake with Maori (~15% of the population)

Largest study of its kind finds face masks reduce COVID-19 | Berkeley News

 

Wearing face masks, particularly surgical masks, is truly effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in community settings, finds a new study led by researchers from Yale University, Stanford Medical School, the University of California, Berkeley, and the nonprofit Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA).

 

The study, which was carried out among more than 340,000 adults living in 600 rural communities in Bangladesh, is the first randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of face masks at reducing COVID-19 in a real-world setting, where mask use may be imperfect and inconsistent.

 

The results show that increased mask-wearing –– the result of a community-level mask distribution and in-person promotion campaign –– led to a significant reduction in the percentage of people with COVID-19, based on symptom reporting and SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. The team tested both cloth and surgical masks and found especially strong evidence that surgical masks are effective in preventing COVID-19. In the study, surgical masks prevented one in three symptomatic infections among community members 60 years and older.

 

NSW health system completely overwhelmed.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/things-being-done-differently-surge-plan-to-add-more-workers-to-covid-fight-20210903-p58omt.html

But Ms Berejiklian has this to say.

Ms Berejiklian said on Friday she sensed a recent shift in the attitude of state and territory leaders towards the reopening of Australia, despite her Queensland and West Australian counterparts threatening to push back against national cabinet plans.

“I think people are realising what we realised, because we were confronted with what we were in NSW, that delta is a game changer. That COVID is here to stay for the foreseeable future.”

You too can be like NSW!!

Oblivian: Explosion of traffic in north Canterbury compared to last Saturday

Fairly sure majority are off to see family and friends

For the last week it's not felt like level 3. More felt like level 1 with inconvenience of masks and no in-store shopping

That's if you can find people going to the dairy or pickup of takeaways actually with a mask and spaced.

'business that serves customers' is pretty clear

Wellington has been like this all week since the L3 announcement.

L3 = L1 but some people don't need to go to work.

Oblivian: Explosion of traffic in north Canterbury compared to last Saturday

Fairly sure majority are off to see family and friends

For the last week it's not felt like level 3. More felt like level 1 with inconvenience of masks and no in-store shopping

That's if you can find people going to the dairy or pickup of takeaways actually with a mask and spaced.

'business that serves customers' is pretty clear

the neighbours have friends over and the music is starting to rock , i guess they dont know it is level 3 and to remind them i would be breaking the rules as well.

Dratsab:

Handle9: If NZ was in lockdown for ~200 days in the last 18 months there would be similar levels of protest. 

But there hasn't been has there? Yet a number of people whinge, whine and moan and try and make out that we've never had it so bad. And as Fred99 has already pointed out, in Melbourne they were protesting very early on in the piece anyway.

vexxxboy:

the neighbours have friends over and the music is starting to rock , i guess they dont know it is level 3 and to remind them i would be breaking the rules as well.

Handle9:

100 people protested in Auckland the day after lockdown was announced. The smug sense of superiority NZ has isn't grounded in reality.

If the government hadn't been so swift in moving to L4 then it's highly likely that event would have been a huge issue for us, given what we know about Delta now.

I shudder to think what would have happened if we'd waited even just one more day.