New Zealand eliminates COVID-19 - The Lancet

[Dawnofhope]

I’m sharing an article about New Zealand’s elimination of community spread of coronavirus published in the Lancet, a reputable medical journal. Our restrictions eased somewhat 11 days ago and we are looking forward to opening schools, cafes and restaurants soon. Our unemployment rate has increased by slightly less than 1% but is likely to increase further. However a range of economic measures by our government has hopefully spared much greater devastation to our economy and jobs.

With a country working together and a government that has carefully applied the best scientific approach to public health strategies we have succeeded for now in mitigating the threat from this pandemic. Its early days and we’re mindful of the risk of a second wave. It is hoped that at least some of the lessons from New Zealand are useful for other countries.

An aggressive approach has enabled New Zealand to end community transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Sophie Cousins reports.
New Zealand recorded its first day of no new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) early this week, more than a month after its strict lockdown began.

At the time of publication, New Zealand had recorded fewer than 1500 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 20 deaths. On March 23, a month after the country had recorded its first case, New Zealand committed to an elimination strategy. A few days later, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a strict national lockdown when it only had 102 cases and zero deaths. Her swift decision making won international praise, including from WHO.
New Zealand's decision to pursue an elimination approach was a vastly different approach to usual pandemic planning, which has historically been based on a mitigation model and focuses on delaying the arrival of the virus, followed by a range of measures to flatten the curve of cases and deaths.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31097-7/fulltext

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

On one hand, I'm sad about millions of healthy New Zealanders, on the other, I'm extremely happy to see trump shown up as an inadequate buffoon.

So I'm conflicted.

 

[pearl]

I think the people of New Zealand ought to be congratulated for following the PM's wisdom. Unfortunately here in the US that is not the case. Our leader, and I use the term loosely, stands in the way of any scientific solution. Here in Massachusetts the governor has initiated a contact trace, one who is tested positive is asked for the names of the last 5 persons he may have been in contact with, those receive a call from the public health dept and are told to quarantine. Some golf clubs have opened but no carts etc. A federal judge through out the restriction for gun shops and allowed them to open. The jobs report came out today, from 4% unemployment to over 14% unemployment!

 

[metis]

I think the people of New Zealand ought to be congratulated for following the PM's wisdom. Unfortunately here in the US that is not the case. Our leader, and I use the term loosely, stands in the way of any scientific solution. Here in Massachusetts the governor has initiated a contact trace, one who is tested positive is asked for the names of the last 5 persons he may have been in contact with, those receive a call from the public health dept and are told to quarantine. Some golf clubs have opened but no carts etc. A federal judge through out the restriction for gun shops and allowed them to open. The jobs report came out today, from 4% unemployment to over 14% unemployment!

Yep, and this is what our governor here in Michigan has been trying to do, thus basing her steps on the medical and economic professors who are advising her from three well-known universities here that have a large degree of expertise in these areas. And yet she is getting all sorts of flack from the you-know-who's.

BTW, this all hub-bub has reminded me to renew my subscription to "Scientific American", which I just did about an hour ago.

 

[sun rise]

With a country working together and a government that has carefully applied the best scientific approach to public health strategies

Sigh. The contrast between that winning strategy and the losers who divide, ignore science and don't take job preserving measures could not be starker.

 

[Shad]

NZ is an island. That is a huge advantage. Also NZ isn't important globally.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I think the people of New Zealand ought to be congratulated for following the PM's wisdom. Unfortunately here in the US that is not the case. Our leader, and I use the term loosely, stands in the way of any scientific solution. Here in Massachusetts the governor has initiated a contact trace, one who is tested positive is asked for the names of the last 5 persons he may have been in contact with, those receive a call from the public health dept and are told to quarantine. Some golf clubs have opened but no carts etc. A federal judge through out the restriction for gun shops and allowed them to open. The jobs report came out today, from 4% unemployment to over 14% unemployment!

The contact tracing efforts appear completely inadequate. I would presume your scientists and medical doctors wouldn’t support opening up the economy unless there was good strategies in place for containment and the necessary prerequisites were met. There is increasing evidence that if you manage the pandemic well then the economic effects are mitigated. Prosperity and the health and well being of communities are inextricably linked. The choice between health and the economy is a false dichotomy. There’s no escaping some of economic consequences no matter what we do but there are steps to lessen the impact for everyone.

The official unemployment rate has risen to 4.2 per cent for the first quarter of the year, from 4 per cent in the December quarter.

That's not quite as bad as economist expectations although the data collection largely pre-dates the lockdown and the number is expected to rise sharply to between 8 and 10 per cent by the end of the year.

The latest numbers showed the economy had been in strong shape heading into the Covid-19 lockdown, Stats NZ said.

Covid 19 coronavirus: Unemployment rate rises to 4.2%, worst still to come

 

[pearl]

Yep, and this is what our governor here in Michigan has been trying to do, thus basing her steps on the medical and economic professors who are advising her from three well-known universities here that have a large degree of expertise in these areas. And yet she is getting all sorts of flack from the you-know-who's.

Was Michigan the state where the protesters had ar15's slung over their shoulders?

 

[pearl]

The contact tracing efforts appear completely inadequate. I would presume your scientists and medical doctors wouldn’t support opening up the economy unless there was good strategies in place for containment and the necessary prerequisites were met. There is increasing evidence that if you manage the pandemic well then the economic effects are mitigated. Prosperity and the health and well being of communities are inextricably linked. The choice between health and the economy is a false dichotomy. There’s no escaping some of economic consequences no matter what we do but there are steps to lessen the impact for everyone.

There are little to none federal leadership, its been left up to the states. Ours has been cautious. I think the contact tracing is much the same as with any other critical communicable disease, like HIV. On course it only works if those contacted volunteer to stay home. The federal leadership offers nothing, simply gets in the way of the science. Our last jobs report, which comes out the first Friday of the month has gone from about 4% to 14%.

 

[Twilight Hue]

NZ is an island. That is a huge advantage. Also NZ isn't important globally.

People don't want to mention those pertinent facts. It helps them to vilifiy Trump in comparing a small isolated country to one that is considerably larger with a vastly larger population.

Demographics don't mean a whole lot as long as they can get in a whack at Trump.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Was Michigan the state where the protesters had ar15's slung over their shoulders?

Don't forget the Boyz in the Hood carrying the heat while escorting the governor from the other boyz also carrying heat.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

... Also NZ isn't important globally.

Seriously?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Demographics don't mean a whole lot as long as they can get in a whack at Trump.

Drink any disinfectant recently?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Drink any disinfectant recently?

People who do that are automatically entered as nominees for the Darwin awards anyways.

 

[Shad]

Was Michigan the state where the protesters had ar15's slung over their shoulders?

Yes.

 

[pearl]

Don't forget the Boyz in the Hood carrying the heat while escorting the governor from the other boyz also carrying heat.

Look anything like these two?
Police arrest two men in shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery

 

[metis]

Was Michigan the state where the protesters had ar15's slung over their shoulders?

Yep. The Pubs controlled the governorship and both houses of congress here for several years, so they got the open-carry law passed.

So much for the Republicans supposedly being "pro-life".