Coronavirus Update #5
A continuation of my weekly notes about coronavirus in New Zealand. It’s crazy to go back and read them all to see how quickly things progressed.
March 28 - 83 new/probable cases for a total of 451 and 12 people are in the hospital. It is our first full weekend under lockdown, and fortunately/unfortunately the weather is gorgeous. It feels like half the neighborhood is out at the park and walking along the beach. There is no way to stay 2 meters away from people at the beach, so we spend our time walking at the park where we have a chance of staying away from people - but their off leash dogs are another story.
Apparently the grocery stores are very busy, and people start giving them some grief for not facilitating social distancing. In more positive news, 3D printers around the country answer the call for 8000 face masks for healthcare providers. This type of group effort is something that makes New Zealand truly special.
March 29 - There are 63 new/probable cases and the first death in New Zealand, and elderly woman with health conditions. The bear hunt is huge in our neighborhood and we spend a good chunk of the afternoon tracking down 24 different bears.
March 30 - 76 new cases today with a total of 552. One previously probably case turned out to be negative - yeah! The government launches a website for customers to report grocery store price gouging. Remember how I mentioned that last week? Apparently it has caused such a stir that the government is mildly threatening the duopoly (Foodstuffs owns Pak n’ Save and New World while Woolworth’s owns Countdown) to encourage them to keep prices low. I plan on doing a Grocery Haul after my next supermarket run, so we’ll see… The Ministry of Health also starts publishing this delightful summary chart, which I adore in a nerdy, geeky kind of way.
March 31 - There are only 58 new/probable cases today, bringing the total to 647. This lower number gives me a delusional sense of hope. I know it is probably only a blip, but it is heartening to think that maybe the lock down is doing some good. The government also announces that certain essential items, like computers, white ware (which is stuff like dishwashers and fridges) and heaters will be available to purchase online and delivered. The public seems divided on whether or not this is a good idea. Some say this defeats the purpose of a lockdown, others are thrilled to be able to do some shopping.
April 1 - 47 new cases and 14 probably cases. It is uplifting to have another decline in new cases. Unfortunately, there are a number of community clusters even though 51% of new cases are tied to overseas travel. I’m concerned that there will be more clusters because the absolutely gorgeous weather means there are a lot of people out at the park and beach near us. There are a lot of people who can’t be bothered with social distancing.
There are long lines at the grocery stores, too. And there is a massive lack of flour. Apparently there is plenty of flour in New Zealand, but there isn’t enough of the 1.5kg packaging to get it on the shelves. It seems like this is something that could be fixed by letting people buy in bulk at the grocery store… Hopefully soon?
April 2 - 89 new cases today, so goodbye warm, fuzzy feeling that New Zealand might’ve avoided the worst of it. As if to make a point that people weren’t safe yet, the police close down the beach near us because too many people are hanging out, swimming, and generally not following the lockdown rules. Personally, I’m glad they’re doing this. I don’t even bother going in that direction when I’m out on my daily dog walk because there are so many people on the sidewalk, and it is impossible to social distance.
There is increased pressure to focus on testing. So far, 26,015 tests have been done on a population of 4.7m, so about 1 test per 184 people. New Zealand has ramped up testing capabilities to over 4,000 per day, but I have yet to see the actual number of tests exceed 2,000 per day. I’m hopeful they open up testing so it becomes readily available, but I realize this won’t actually happen.
