New Zealand on Lockdown

I wish our government had been so proactive - yesterday’s pictures on the news of “Bank Holiday” type crowds milling around beauty spots, beaches, parks, sharing outdoor exercise equipment (incredible) and crowding outdoor markets made me physically sick.

I'm glad to hear it. My son lives there. The UK (as usual) are doing too little, too late.

I totally agree Mawb. We live near Southend and apparently, yesterday the sea front was as busy as a hot day in summer. These people obviously do not read the news or hear what Boris is saying. Nor do they see what is happening in other European countries. It makes me very angry and sad for all the people who are going to get this virus.

I live at the seaside and although it wasn’t as bad as you describe there were certainly people acting as normal in groups and one cafe opened with loads of people chatting and drinking their coffee
I had a very breezy walk on the beach with lots of room between me and my daughter shouting across to each other very few people on the actual beach so I felt safe she knocked on my door then went to stand by the road we walked 6 ft apart

Sar53, these people think it's a small risk to themselves, so they'll carry on as normal. They don't give a about anyone else. That's why we need lockdown.

I live at seaside. Saw fewer visitors yesterday now pubs all closed. Mostly they were families with children going for long walks. However lots of youngsters (the ones always on social media we are told) SHARING ice creams. I ask you...

My son let me know earlier that they are at level 3 and will be on lockdown as of tomorrow. I've been watching their PM's addresses to the nation so understood the way they were watching the situation. Son has had to close his music studio where he teaches and DIL was stood down from filming last week indefinitely - they had just decided to pull the children from school when the announcement was made they would be closing. He said the roads were already log jammed and supermarkets packed despite the same assurances as we have here that there is plenty of food. We can only hope they are ahead of the game over there as the last country to start with cases.

Unbelievable that this government had been so slow to respond. Italy seems to have falling numbers two weeks after lockdown.

DD1 should be in New Zealand now for 2.5 weeks to help set up a training scheme for new entrants to the film industry, similar to the one she co-ordinates here in Scotland. Obviously the trip was cancelled a few days ago. She's very sorry to miss the trip but hopes to rearrange AV after the virus

They may be in lockdown in France but people were throbbing a street market in a small town, chatting closely and a woman stallholder was coughing just behind the reporter.

The rules may have been put in place but it seemed that not everyone was following them there either.

Ireland is supposed to be in lockdown but my granddaughter told me to say that the beaches were swarming with folk yesterday !!!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

We are in isolation in Perth.
We flew in from SA a week ago before the state upped their border restrictions. We stayed with friends, didn’t socialise or come into contact with anyone else. Continued to Margaret river where we stayed in a small guesthouse with outside access. They organised a system of guest segregation.
And we only went to walk along wide open beaches etc. NO WINE TOUR?

We returned to Perth yesterday for our flight tomorrow. It is still flying but we can’t go on it as we were transiting in HK.
Our carrier sent us a message this morning telling us we could now check in!
If they don’t know what’s going on how can we?

We now have, thanks to Trailfinders and Gabrielle in Norwich, a flight on the 29th so here we are in a hotel room for another 3 days using room service.

It’s a nice room, lovely view of the freeway but if we put our nose outside the door of the room we will be asked to leave.
I hope I never commit a crime and end up in prison, this is bad enough.
I just heard the cleaner so risked opening the door and shouting, now we have a big stack of tea bags so alls we’ll with the world.

For those of you who will be critical of my moans and tell me it’s my own fault for travelling I will just say that we left the U.K. before all this started to visit our DD in NSW. We took some masks but that was in case it was smokey in Sydney.

We are fine compared to so many , our insurance company has extended their 60 days away rule, we have Gabrielle on the case, we are comfortable and not hungry and best of all I have 3 books to read. I just wish we knew what was the next step. Although we have a flight it might be cancelled.
We were strongly advised to register with the Consulate, if any of you have relatives, friends over here then tell them it’s a good idea.
If that’s the case then I’m certain that Boris will come and save us.??

Not sure what happened to the comment I posted on Wed 25th March. It wasn't withdrawn at my request.
I'm new to Gransnet, my sister in England introduced me to it. Here in New Zealand we are on our 2nd day of lock down. Our Prime Minister acted swiftly, so if we all stick to the rules, the lock down should be a minimum of 4 weeks. I believe we have 278 cases of Covid-19 to date. Essential services still open and I can still walk my little dog every day. Staying at home is imperative to stop the virus spreading. Thank goodness for technology to keep in touch with loved ones. I heard we still have Kiwi's arriving back in the country, most being moved into isolation by the police as they come through the airport. Kia Kaha everyone and I love you my big sis.

I am very lucky indeed that I have more than a touch of the hermit in my makeup, so lockdown won't bother me at all.

I've just come home after more than a week taking care of an elderly (91) friend who had a fall.

Yes, NZ is quiet but the supermarkets and chemists are all open and yesterday were thronged with people - so I don't quite know how that's 'Keeping everyone safe'.

I'm told the military may be called in if people defy the rules and congregate and if you cough on a police officer, they'll arrest you. Helicopters circle regularly overhead.

It's a weird world at the moment, an immaculate exercise in power and control.

If an enemy country ever wanted to take over a passive and cowed population, now they know exactly how to do it.

Today, day 2 of lockdown in NZ, the police have taken control of the streets. Supermarkets and pharmacies allowing people in in very small groups. People are queuing up the street, standing 2 m apart to go in. We are told we can walk to a park but must stay local. Seems people are taking it seriously.
My elder DD who lives 5 minutes away has a cough and a fever so we are really hoping she is not infected. If she is we have all been contacts.

eebeew latest advice is that if you have fever or cough you must contact the medical authorities at once so they can test you and trace your contacts over the previous two weeks.

Ok thanks •Bradfordlass*. I will pass that on.

I feel quite sad, that 102 days free of infections New Zealand is now faced with a level 3 lockdown in Auckland and level 2 elsewhere. It just goes to show that the virus never really goes away. It will be interesting to see what happened in such a vigilant, isolated country to bring about these new cases.

Elianne if it's happens there all I can say is god help us!

I feel there must be an explanation. How can people become ill with Coronavirus if they have not been in touch with it? I don’t understand at all.

It is reported that all four cases are members of one family and that none had travelled recently.

However, someone they met may have travelled and perhaps was symptom-free?
Presumably flights have resumed to and from Auckland.

One of the affected family works in a cold storage facility and it is suspected the virus may have been imported through this.

Police Checkpoints around Auckland have been turning back Aucklanders trying to escape to their summer homes.
Here Boris gave everyone one week’s warning that lockdown was coming to allow the wealthy to get out of London thereby spreading the infection nationwide.