Covirus 19 coronavirus: Why New Zealand could return to closure soon?

COMMENTARY:

This week our country has been fortunate to degrade our level of alert thanks to the success of our actions during the blockade.

But it bothered me to notice that people (and even some companies) have become too relaxed with the pandemic.

People seem to feel comfortable returning to the norm, as reports circulate about customers not adhering to physical distancing rules, or that fast-food giants don’t provide contactless service.

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I have also noticed that couriers and food delivery drivers have been pleased to deliver the packages to me and my roommate directly, rather than placing them on the floor.

I find it extremely puzzling that people have become complacent by touching strangers without even knowing where they have been, while the world continues to suffer from more and more cases of Covid-19.

The pandemic is not yet over.

And yes, you might argue that New Zealand has dwindled to unique numbers, which is great, but it only takes one person infected with Covid-19 to go out into the public and pass it on to someone else.

Just like it did at first.

• Covid19.govt.nz – The official government Covid-19 advisory website

The potentially infected person could be standing right behind you while waiting in line, or the courier driver who contacted an infected person and then directly delivered a package.

The possibilities are endless for a second wave of infections to rush through New Zealand, if people do not become more strict with their precautions.

A region of northern Japan, the island of Hokkaido, is reportedly currently experiencing a second wave of infections and deaths that experts say could have been prevented if the state of emergency had not been lifted too soon.

Other countries, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, have also suffered a second wave, while Italy and China are reportedly preparing for theirs.

Today, Ardern noted that there have been 185 Level 3 violations and common themes of public complaints include lack of social distancing, business violations by clients or staff, safe operating practices for cafes, recreational activities and meetings in home.

“Additional activity carries additional responsibility,” he urged before saying that people should continue to act as if they had Covid-19.

This is a timely alert reminder, level 3 is very similar to alert level 4, with the difference that many people return to work, people allow to extend their family bubble and children can return to school if necessary.

These rules do not mean that we have a pass to return to normal.

Stay home, and when you go out follow the 2m rule.

And companies must ensure they provide a contactless service to protect their workers and customers.

If we do not act now, more people could die and we would have to start again.

This means that people who have just gotten their jobs would have to go home and face the burden of not being able to pay for necessities again.

This could lead to more job losses and the fall of small businesses.

This means that people have to wait longer to see their family and friends.

So the next time people decide it’s okay to ignore the restrictions, just remember that our country can easily return to a closed lifestyle in the blink of an eye.