It’s easy to be wise after the event. When this pandemic started no one knew very much about it, except it’s very infectious and it kills a lot of older people and some younger ones. There was no effective medication and no vaccine. I think the government were slow off the mark, and have messed up some things, but I don’t think for one minute that anyone else would have been much better. It’s pointless thinking of New Zealand, or Norway, or Sweden, they have a different demographic and far more space. Look instead to France, Italy, even the much lorded Germany, now all of them and a lot more countries, are just as much as us, up the creek without a paddle.
Until we get an effective vaccine, or the virus burns itself out, we are at its mercy.