Apologies if you knew already

I think it's an interesting idea to help with isolation. New Zealand has been very successful in containing the virus.

I think we should carry on as we are for the time being. Most people have adapted well now (greatly helped by the lovely weather).

Surely we can't compare New Zealand with the UK? It's like comparing London with remote Scottish or Welsh areas where they've hardly had any infections.

Thank you Witzend on page one of this post...

I am 83, and I am a lot healthier and active than many a young
`un!!

Aepgirl. I don’t think anyone is suggesting changing.
Anyway I have since heard more information and realise I had misunderstood some elements of this scheme.

28maddyone

What happens when some of the members of the bubble are key workers and therefore not supposed to mix with anyone outside their home or work?

Where have you read this?
I'm a key worker and it's news to me. Plus all the supermarkets do specific hours or priority entrance for keyworkers.

BlueSky
You are absolutely correct. How can any reasonable person compare a population of five million people, spread out across the country with a population of approximately 66-70 million people, many of whom live in huge cities with millions of others. We should compare ourselves with Italy with a population of approximately 60 million and many large cities. And look what happened there!

My brother lives in NZ with his family and he has mentioned nothing about a bubble in fact they haven't seen his wives family. He has mentioned stages and keeps reminding me that over here we have a bigger beast to control because we have more population. They are starting slowly to come out of lockdown. UK government have always tried to balance economy with saving life's, that's why this country seems idiotic with planes still flying and no screening on landing and more. If it wasn't so sad it would be laughable.

Not wanting to lower the tone of this thread, but I am getting a bit cheesed off with all this worship at the feet of (saint) Jacinda. Such a small population (slightly more than Wales) with a huge country. So different from the UK and so easy to criticise our policies.

According to a theory aired recentlybon radio 4, more men die because women have stronger immune systems, since our immune defences are carried on the x genes and women have twice as many as men. (Women xx and men xy). That is why more boy babies die in the first year of life (and nature is such that more males are born to compensate).

narnia
I haven’t read it anywhere! It’s the topic of the thread. Read the thread, it’s about ‘bubbles’ or groups of people who would be allowed to mix together. I asked, okay then, but how would it work with key workers.
Keep up. Sigh!

vickeymeldrew; On 14 the March the people of NZ were going to have huge gatherings to remember the people who died at Christchurch; on 13th Jacinda said the gatherings were ok. On 14th she, having decided such gatherings could result in people dying of the virus, cancelled them. Whereas in this country our government, on 11 March allowed the Atletico/Liverpool game with 3,000 Spanish fans flying in from a known virus hotspot to go ahead; plus several Stereophonics concerts and then the Cheltenham Festival over several days. Quite frankly, if I had to choose who was the leader of my country at this moment in time, I know, regardless of the size of the country/population etc, which one I'd go for.

...as she said at the time 'I'm going hard and I'm going early...'

Maybee70
And that is precisely what we didn’t do but should have done.

At some point we have to step out of lockdown. Otherwise we will all die because economy has died. This bubble idea sounds good to me. If someone feels it’s not a good idea for them, they can continue to shield themselves.

This is what this country as always done tried to balance keeping the economy going whilst saving life's. Rules in local supermarkets are already slacking too many in store and whole families as well!! For anyone to say that the government should have locked down sooner, we have a larger population then say NZ and therefore 10x more idiots and selfish people who will not feel the reality of this unless it actually effects them.
There is so much talk of trying to come out of this and yet have we reached the peak yet? Or is everything slowly going to get back to normal whilst people are still dying? The government should think less about money and more about saving all. The ones who have there pockets lined don't seem to give two hoots about those that are in the midst of this: All the key workers.

Another theory about why more men die is because the testes express more ACE2 than ovaries. Apparently men take longer to clear the virus from their bodies.

Jishere
Good post.

growstuff
That’s an interesting theory.

we talked about this today DH is 75 with underlying conditions I am much younger but with underlying conditions too we went through a list of our closest friends and family and for various reasons decided expanding our bubble would be risky key workers who would be a risk to us/ more vulnerable relations we would be a risk to so we won't be expanding our bubble any time soon

I live in New Zealand and we have, for the last month, been living in our 'bubble'. A bubble consists of those people who live in the house and just those people. My children live in other parts of the world but if, eg my son, his wife and children lived a quarter of a mile away, my bubble (my DH and I) could not visit my son's bubble. We may be part of the same family and could say 'but none of us have the virus so surely we can visit' but the order was no, we couldn't. It has been very hard on families as it has on families in the UK and other countries who have had the isolation process. As far as the 70's and over age group not being allowed to go to supermarkets, it's not that we are 'not allowed' but it's been stressed all the way along that if my age group do visit a supermarket we must do it with the utmost care but if possible, and very much preferred, we should try to find somebody else to do our shopping. If someone doesn't have anybody to help them there are organisations who will assist. We go into Level 3 (probably but not yet definitely) on Tuesday night which will allow a little more freedom but there will be very little in the way of shops, hairdressers open. If a business can arrange 'click and collect' or some other way of paying without contact then they may trade but there won't be any actual shop buildings where people will be able to walk into. We are just a little nation population-wise and my heart goes out to countries such as the UK where there are so so many people.

MayBee and Hetty - I was a bit dubious too about whether it had really been the virus. But didn't like to ask if they'd been tested.They sounded so relieved (phone) to be feeling better.

Another theory about why more men die is because the testes express more ACE2 than ovaries. Apparently men take longer to clear the virus from their bodies
growstuff Very interesting and very frightening!
What's a man to do?
Nothing, and die sooner rather than later or opt to become a Eunuch ? The choice is either death from Corvid19 or face up to a fate worse than death!
It's not a man's world, is it?
Good Health!

So agree with you, Witzend, our son is serving with forces over seas, we have no one else to help us so have to shop for ourselves, just have to be careful and get on with it. Stay safe. ?

So our Lockdown is the same as New Zealand we just don’t use the word Bubble for a household?

and we started later after several events gave the virus the chance to infect thousands.