2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

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#2694384 18-Apr-2021 13:01

sbiddle:
martyyn:
I've given up talking to most of my UK friends. They've been pumped full of so much rubbish by their media they just can't understand when I say we've (as in our town) had one 4 week lockdown and been BAU ever since.

It's almost become nasty with a couple of them they are that miserable. One even told me NZ wasn't part of the "developed world" last week. He got an absolute mouthful from me I can tell you.

The simple fact is we haven't just had "one 4 week lockdown and been BAU ever since". That is simply a blatantly untrue statement, and life and business in NZ has simply not been BAU for many people in NZ.

Trashing people from the UK or US does no good. Most of us have zero idea what they've been through, and the mental health issues that are going to be around for years to come as a result of what has happened. These people just want normality.

Errrr, it's exactly how life has been for us where we live. My wife and I, as well as many locals, run our own businesses and every single one of them is booming.

I'm well aware that's not the case for all. But the whole country doesn't live in Aucklandn or main cities.

We travelled for three weeks through the South Island in January and everyone we spoke to felt the same. Those in hospitality had had to adapt and they'd done that.

We have family and friends in London and throughout the UK, Amsterdam, New York, South Carolina and Vancouver. We talk with all of them regularly so I'm well aware of how the rest of the world has been living.

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GV27

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#2694385 18-Apr-2021 13:10

Ah, so it's more of an "I'm alright Jack" thing. Gotcha.

martyyn

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#2694392 18-Apr-2021 13:58

More of a "it's not crap for everyone" thing.

antonknee

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#2694393 18-Apr-2021 14:00

Can I ask, for those who are currently stating we are not living normally here in NZ - would you please elaborate on what is not BAU? Beyond the obvious impacts to tourism, and businesses who for watch ever reason did not make it through the first lockdown despite the support in place

I don’t mean to be insensitive, and perhaps it’s a case of “I’m alright Jack”. I’m genuinely curious, because I think the vast majority of NZ would say it’s BAU for them, and certainly if I look at my own situation and that of the people I’m closest to it is.

Without going into detail because I’m wary of it being insensitive, there’s been some changes in that what we’re all doing in April 2021 is different to April 2019 - but these have all worked out well, and life is always full of change.

Domestically it feels like life really is more or less BAU - so what am I missing?

Rikkitic

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#2694400 18-Apr-2021 14:20

Speaking personally only, I haven't noticed any changes at all. My life in Hawke's Bay is pretty much the same as it has always been.

Edited to add: Initially there were certainly changes with the lockdown and all and arranging food deliveries, but that was a long time ago. For many months things have been very much like they were before.

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#2694412 18-Apr-2021 15:04

The obvious things that have changed are the wearing of masks on public transport as a matter of course and scanning of QR codes. I personally, am far more aware of proximity to other people than I used to be. As an avid music aficionado, I was looking forward to events again but the first I went to, The Beths at San Fran, I had to leave after 30 minutes as I couldn't take the crowding. Been a lot better since with other venues. I haven't managed to take in a Super Rugby game though.

So outwardly things appear normal but I am sure for many people their lifestyles are subtly different.

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#2694469 18-Apr-2021 15:43

sbiddle:
Trashing people from the UK or US does no good. Most of us have zero idea what they've been through, and the mental health issues that are going to be around for years to come as a result of what has happened. These people just want normality.

There's little or no point talking to New Zealanders about experiences overseas. At best you get a lecture at worst treated like a leper.

New Zealand has always been fairly xenophobic, now there's a healthy dose of nastyness to go with it.

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#2694486 18-Apr-2021 16:02

Six weeks away from home dealing with a large proportion of self-entitled ass-clowns who seem to think for some reason the rules don't actually apply to them, followed by a six week break in which you try to catch up with all the jobs at home, your family, kids etc, as well as the work that didn't get done while you were away. Regularly getting things stuck up your nose, worrying every time you or some one around you sniffs, sneezes or coughs, worrying every time you go home after each six week block that you could be taking something home undetected that could kill your parents... Six weeks on, six weeks off, rinse and repeat - with no end in sight.

Yeah nah mate, nothing's changed aye? BAU alright...

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#2694507 18-Apr-2021 17:50

There are 5 million people doing that are there ?

sbiddle

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#2694515 18-Apr-2021 18:39

martyyn:

Errrr, it's exactly how life has been for us where we live. My wife and I, as well as many locals, run our own businesses and every single one of them is booming.

I'm well aware that's not the case for all. But the whole country doesn't live in Aucklandn or main cities.

We travelled for three weeks through the South Island in January and everyone we spoke to felt the same. Those in hospitality had had to adapt and they'd done that.

We have family and friends in London and throughout the UK, Amsterdam, New York, South Carolina and Vancouver. We talk with all of them regularly so I'm well aware of how the rest of the world has been living.

I could sit here now and write about probably 15 people I know well who's lives have changed significantly over the past 12 months. Life is anything but normal for a significant number of NZers, and for some of those people life will never be like as was pre Covid.

Whether it's hotel managers who have been made redundant, tourism business owners who have simply walked away from their business, hospitality owners who have been kept awake at night wondering how they're going to get through this and pay the bills, pilots who no longer enjoy the job of flying overseas and effectively being held captive with severe restrictions on their life, a nurse working in MIQ who has basically avoided contact with friends and family and socialising for 9+ months because she's terrified of catching Covid and spreading it. Add to that a store owner in Wellington who's now just wondering how they're going to adapt with the fact foot traffic in the CBD being so much lower as working from home has totally changed the dynamics of the city.

Business might be booming for you, but it's certainly not booming for plenty of people, and the effects still aren't over yet. There are still people out there hoping that they've reduced cash burn to the point where they can stay afloat but with no idea whether their business will ever actually be sustainable long term.

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#2694517 18-Apr-2021 18:51

The ongoing uncertainty must be having a huge impact on organisers of large events.

I participate in a lot of running events and each event is planned many months in advance to arrange ticketing, race bibs, road closures, prizes, volunteers, start and finish venues, supplies for drink stations, first aid, liability insurance, and on it goes. Unwinding all of that is an extremely expensive exercise, and the incorporated societies who organise these events are at risk of financial collapse if a lockdown suddenly hits before the date of their event.

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#2694538 18-Apr-2021 20:33

Ge0rge: Six weeks away from home dealing with a large proportion of self-entitled ass-clowns who seem to think for some reason the rules don't actually apply to them, followed by a six week break in which you try to catch up with all the jobs at home, your family, kids etc, as well as the work that didn't get done while you were away. Regularly getting things stuck up your nose, worrying every time you or some one around you sniffs, sneezes or coughs, worrying every time you go home after each six week block that you could be taking something home undetected that could kill your parents... Six weeks on, six weeks off, rinse and repeat - with no end in sight.

Yeah nah mate, nothing's changed aye? BAU alright...

I know exactly how you feel.

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#2694539 18-Apr-2021 20:35

martyyn: There are 5 million people doing that are there ?

There are 20,000 odd people doing that.

Most people are BAU but the country as a whole is far from it.

GV27

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#2694681 19-Apr-2021 08:45

We were lucky to squeeze in a weekend away between the first big lockdown and the second August L3 lockdown in Auckland. Upon reflection, if we didn't then I probably wouldn't have made it out the other side of the next one.

For some lockdown was just eight paid weeks of no-cost leave, but for others it was all-hours, working at a fraction of the pace you could in an office environment and the working week losing all shape. For many, this was after seeing their colleagues and staff being made redundant on the eve of lockdown in an extremely frantic few days between Monday and Weds.

By the end of it, I was totally burnt out and basically yelling at the TV when promised commercial rent subsidies turned into nothing, or when another two-week extension would get added "just to be sure". It just wouldn't end. It was made worse by TV presenters tweeting about dressing up and those who were getting paid for doing nothing treating the whole thing like a big laugh.

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#2694693 19-Apr-2021 09:55

During and following lockdown last year, an extension was given for car WOFs until (IIRC) October - you wouldn't get prosecuted for an expired WOF.

My SO's car warrant expired a few weeks ago - my bad - I hadn't noticed. I got it checked this morning at the local workshop that also does mechanical repairs and tyres. The shop was empty - the only job they had booked was the WOF on our car, they expect to have a very lean few months as warrants won't start expiring until after October, much of their mechanical repair and tyre sales work also follow on from WOF inspections. Then I guess from October onward, there'll be a mad rush. So a follow-on economic effect from lockdown that's probably going to take a few years to normalise.

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