Coronavirus Update #12
It is our first full week of Level 2 and the new “normal.”
May 15 - There is one new “weak positive” case from an existing cluster in Auckland. It sounds like this person had it and got over it before even being tested. I think that is good news, but it does make me wonder if there are other cases that are so mild that people weren’t tested, but they’ve managed to spread it to someone who will suffer more. There are currently only 56 active cases in the whole country, 7 of which are in Auckland.
Today was the last day of homeschool for the kids. The teachers spent the day preparing everyone for how school will be different next week. The first difference is that there will only be drop offs - no more walking kids into class in the morning. This is how my son’s school normally works, but for my daughter this is a change and I’m expecting mild chaos to ensue as people try to figure out how curb side drop off will work. Secondly, all of the afternoon pickups are on staggered time slots so there will be only one class at a time at the designated pick up areas. The idea is to keep the traffic flowing so parents never get out of their cars. If this works, I hope they keep it this way because it will make my life a whole lot easier.
The schools will also rearrange their desks so kids will be separated more from each other. Realistically, with kids in Year 1 and Year 2, this is just a nod towards following the rules. I realize there is no way to keep kids this young apart from each other in any meaningful way.
May 16 - No new cases today! This is great news as we go into our first weekend at Level 2. This morning I took a walk with my daughter, and the cafes were bustling with people. My usual coffee shop was trying with limited success to have a one-in one-out policy as people desperately ordered caffeine. I’m contemplating going to a store this afternoon to pick up a few craft supplies for the kids to enjoy.
Even I (someone who is jaded by reading all of the US news reports) am feeling pretty confident in where New Zealand sits with regards to coronavirus. I had a moment of revelation that I need to separate in my mind the US’s coronavirus reality and my coronavirus reality. They’re not the same anymore. While the US is ramping up in cases and deaths, New Zealand has done so much right that we have a good chance of returning to a normal life, albeit one without international travel. This was a revelatory moment. Even though I’ve logically known New Zealand is lightyears ahead of the US in this fight, it was the first moment I felt it and realized how big the chasm is.
May 17 - There is one new case today that is traceable to one of the eldercare homes. Unfortunately, it is a preschooler who lives with a caretaker in the home who was previously infected. This is absolute fodder for all of the parents who don’t want to send their kids back to school tomorrow. There is a lot of “see! Kids can get this. Keep them home!”
This new case makes 1,499 confirmed and probable cases overall. There have been 21 deaths and only 45 active cases remain. In Auckland, there are only 4 active cases, 1 of which is in the hospital.
May 18 - No new cases again! And it was the first day back at school for kids around the country. It felt downright weird to have one kid back at school. (The other is still home because of a scary injury a week ago. I’m working on a post about this, but let’s just say I have never been more frightened in my life.) The school administrators did amazingly well handling the flow of traffic and the new pick up procedure. I really hope they decide to keep this new protocol.
May 19 - Again, no new cases, and people are out and about. One big difference I’ve noticed between New Zealand and the US is that there is very little mask usage any more. When we were in Level 4 and no one knew about community spread, about 50% of the people in line at the grocery store (one of the only open places to visit) wore masks and gloves. However, New Zealand has taken the approach that most people use masks incorrectly and end up touching their faces more, so it is better to forgo the mask and focus on staying two meters away from anyone. Every store has dots or other marks on the floor to indicate safe places to stand.
May 20 - No new cases, and we’re down to 35 active cases in the whole country. There are only 4 active cases in all of Auckland. The government also released a contact tracing app. It works by having the user scan a QR code whenever you enter a store. This creates a digital diary of all the places you’ve visited in case contact tracing becomes necessary. Supposedly it does not trace actual movements and all data is stored on your phone, owned by you, and automatically deleted after 31 days. 92,000 downloaded the app on the first day.
May 21 - Our fourth day in a row of no new cases! In fact, there have only been 2 cases in the past week, 30 active cases, and 1 person in hospital. It is becoming more and more evident that the government is turning its focus on other things. There aren’t daily briefings with both Jacinda and Dr. Bloomfield anymore - now it is one or the other. Today’s media updates were primarily on influenza vaccine updates and how more money will go into mental health services. Plus, bars are opening up today, and the general guidance is “have fun. Be safe.”
New Zealand is getting more international press for some of the ideas floating around about how to stimulate the economy: four day work weeks and new public holidays for domestic tourism boosts. There’s also a huge push to buy domestically, specifically with a New Zealand Made Products Facebook group. (Confession - I’ve ordered things from 4 or 5 shops already! Stay tuned for some new brand focus posts.) It is also revealed that 29 countries, including the US, aren’t sending mail on to New Zealand right now, so in many cases the only way to get anything is to get it domestically. This is a bit troubling, but explains why my daughter’s birthday present never arrived!
