Just read this article: Oh, How Predictable. - by Alan Flanagan - 3am Thoughts (substack.com)

So true. 

Brilliantly articulated!

That is pretty good, the "just asking the questions" crap reminded me of former electorate MP Gerry Brownlee talking about the Government's coronavirus response, and ex-talkback host Peter Williams, with his shoutout to Voices for Freedom, when asked what the hell he was doing by Newsroom; he got quite defensive.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/when-the-healing-has-begun-life-after-the-protest-at-parliament/YYNXYCWAJLYVEWUEUOMF4GQPLU/ (paywalled)
Takes a look at the protest and the extremist elements that basically took over (eventually).

https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/18-03-2022/national-wants-vaccine-passes-gone-mandates-scrapped-for-under-18s

Some of the people who attended the protests are now trying to (re-, in some cases) launch into politics:

https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-03-2022/the-people-trying-to-turn-the-parliament-occupation-fury-into-a-political-force

Apart from Winston (and I think even he has a fairly big question mark), I personally don't see many of these people getting very far in their ambitions.

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but the Government stealthily announced it's done with MIQ for unvaccinated Kiwi's returning from overseas. No MIQ and no Isolation. Just a blurb (Initially) on the website. 

They stand on the podium for all the other announcements. I wonder why not this one?.....

My wife and I are alarmed at the restrictions being lifted at this stage. 

Whilst we might be seeing the peak or slightly over the peak in Auckland (Which many experts dispute), the fact our deaths are continuing to climb, hospitalizations are still climbing and our ICU numbers are increasing, and combined with the fact testing stations are now telling people who get RATS they should worry about uploading results any more, indicate we are still facing the brunt of this outbreak. 

All these changes to restrictions WILL increase transmission rates and with our hospitals pretty much at red capacity now, waiting an extra 10-14 days, would have meant we would have been facing the same numbers on the other side of the curve from a few weeks ago which would have put far less pressure on the health system. 

It seems odd, especially combined with the other changes like opening borders etc. 

My other issue with dropping it this soon is that the idiot's will think they've actually achieved something or won somehow by their (non) effort.

networkn:

 

My wife and I are alarmed at the restrictions being lifted at this stage. 

 

Whilst we might be seeing the peak or slightly over the peak in Auckland (Which many experts dispute), the fact our deaths are continuing to climb, hospitalizations are still climbing and our ICU numbers are increasing, and combined with the fact testing stations are now telling people who get RATS they should worry about uploading results any more, indicate we are still facing the brunt of this outbreak. 

 

All these changes to restrictions WILL increase transmission rates and with our hospitals pretty much at red capacity now, waiting an extra 10-14 days, would have meant we would have been facing the same numbers on the other side of the curve from a few weeks ago which would have put far less pressure on the health system. 

 

It seems odd, especially combined with the other changes like opening borders etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

I get that, but.

Hospital beds are 30% Covid, the rest are other issues but have Covid. 

Hospital cases have dropped, was it 960 today as against past 1050 odd the other day.

IMO its spread too far to control. Ambivalence means low testing, low RATS, low scanning etc. The dailies we see are well understated

Hospital cases while overstated, are also adversely affected by staff sick days

Its a bit of a rock and a hard place. There has been a call to keep these measures and also a call to abandon everything.

My personal opinion is lets lock down for 3 weeks to cut most of this off at the pass, but many of the public wont wear it, politically thats bad, as National and ACT say, apparently, and the strike at Parliament is still warm. 

What does one do? In 6 months that answer is easy.

PsychoSmiley:

 

My other issue with dropping it this soon is that the idiot's will think they've actually achieved something or won somehow by their (non) effort.

 

Im waiting for my anti vax mate to say we won. He is vaxxed.... 

While many in NZ have or have had Covid, MANY haven't. I haven't. Its not up to me to say its too soon as so many say its overdue. I'll just keep myself, the wife, and the MIL safe. The answer will exist in 6 months. IMHO its not over whether we open up now pr later, as the vast majority of Kiwis dont have Covid, so there is a vast majority that can, and will. A 3 to 4 week lockdown wont be allowed to happen, so that leaves one optional, live with it 

tdgeek:

 

Hospital beds are 30% Covid, the rest are other issues but have Covid. 

 

I can tell you that the view we have from inside the hospital 100% conflicts with that information being provided via the Podium. I can tell you that MANY hospital staff are in total disbelief at what is being reported.

 

Hospital cases while overstated, are also adversely affected by staff sick days

 

Its a bit of a rock and a hard place. There has been a call to keep these measures and also a call to abandon everything.

 

Staff to look after the I'll is a pretty important part of the response. Not adding *any* extra load right now is important. (Bolded because of the annoying quote limit)

They have ignored the calls like this in the past. Right now we are at the worst time of any in our Covid journey. Hospitals are code red, staff are utterly exhausted and being asked to work while sick. We have been in lockdown borders wise for 2 years, another couple of weeks would have made very little difference to anyone except the hospitals (and their staff) and they are the most important people in the country right now.

 

My personal opinion is lets lock down for 3 weeks to cut most of this off at the pass, but many of the public wont wear it, politically thats bad, as National and ACT say, apparently, and the strike at Parliament is still warm. 

 

What does one do? In 6 months that answer is easy.

 

Pretty sure you'd (and most other people in the country) would feel the same way if you had suffered 4 months of lockdown 3 months ago.

What does one do? It's a pretty straightforward and pretty common sense thing... You do NOT load the system with more transmission until we are further down the other side of the bell curve when beds taken by Covid were 500, ICU is back down to 15. It's a matter of possibly another 10 days.

But we don't need a lockdown (or at least full lockdown), we need to stay with the course set, and simply not increase transmission whilst introducing not only more cases from overseas, but all the other non-covid stuff that will arrive and load the system.

networkn:

 

I can tell you that the view we have from inside the hospital 100% conflicts with that information being provided via the Podium. I can tell you that MANY hospital staff are in total disbelief at what is being reported.

 

 

 

 

Hospital cases while overstated, are also adversely affected by staff sick days

 

Its a bit of a rock and a hard place. There has been a call to keep these measures and also a call to abandon everything.

 

 

Staff to look after the I'll is a pretty important part of the response. Not adding *any* extra load right now is important. (Bolded because of the annoying quote limit)

 

They have ignored the calls like this in the past. Right now we are at the worst time of any in our Covid journey. Hospitals are code red, staff are utterly exhausted and being asked to work while sick. We have been in lockdown borders wise for 2 years, another couple of weeks would have made very little difference to anyone except the hospitals (and their staff) and they are the most important people in the country right now.

 

Ill take your word for all that as your wife is a GP. Its whats been reported by the media. MoH also reported that the numbers are based on WHO, who decided that cases in hospital that have Covid are Covid cases, even if its a non Covid need

networkn:

 

Pretty sure you'd (and most other people in the country) would feel the same way if you had suffered 4 months of lockdown 3 months ago.

 

What does one do? It's a pretty straightforward and pretty common sense thing... You do NOT load the system with more transmission until we are further down the other side of the bell curve when beds taken by Covid were 500, ICU is back down to 15. It's a matter of possibly another 10 days.

 

But we don't need a lockdown (or at least full lockdown), we need to stay with the course set, and simply not increase transmission whilst introducing not only more cases from overseas, but all the other non-covid stuff that will arrive and load the system.

 

Not disagreeing but its wildfire in NZ now. The cases we see reported are a lot lower than reality. Its uncontrollable. Id love to stay with the course set, but the reality is bugger all scan, mask, etc. "Its milder, Im over it etc" Thats the human scenario now, whether you or I like it or not. Id have no issue with a lockdown again and no Im not in AKL now, but with my MIL here we are living a lockdown for her sake. I have no issue with that as its the right thing, but most wont. Re the air borders, yes I agree, but the numbers flying in are minuscule to whats here already, even though Id prefer to avoid that.