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In early February, Do Tuyet Nga, who lives in Wellington, noted that people around her considered Covid-19 to be a common flu.
When the nCoV epidemic quickly spread outside of China in February 2020, Russia thought it was a dangerous virus and should wear masks to avoid the risk of infection. By contrast, New Zealand’s Russian neighbors and friends think the translation is “nothing serious,” just in case. New Zealand authorities have taken a number of measures to prevent the spread, including separate lanes for Chinese guests at the airport.
In late February, New Zealand recorded its first case, returning from Iran. The number of infected people then increased, relative to the outbreak on the Ruby Princess yacht in Australia. Bad data from neighboring Australia has made New Zealanders nervous. All were limited to the streets and asked for the signing of a request for the government to close and isolate society. On March 19, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the closure of the entire border to prevent Covid-19 from leaving abroad. On March 23, Ardern said he would impose a national blockade in a month, the cabinet agreed, and the measures went into effect immediately.
The sign appealed to people to stay home in Wellington on April 9. Photos: Guardian
“Everything happened very quickly, the government hastened to stop the epidemic,” Russia said.
As a signatory in support of social isolation, Russia agreed to immediately stop its furniture business, which was not essential. Previously, he kept the job, but advised clients to avoid contact, leave products in the yard upon delivery, and then photograph to confirm the transaction.
Since the blockade was issued, Russia has not known anyone, occasionally asking neighbors through the fence. She buys more food than usual to limit sugar, reducing the risk of infection in the supermarket. Online shopping is sometimes difficult due to overcrowding.
An interesting fact in New Zealand is people’s high awareness of the epidemic, despite strict regulations. Russia said that on the first day of the travel restriction order, the police website “went down” because too many people were reporting violators. The New Zealand government also introduced the slogan “Be nice to each other,” so that people don’t feel stifled in the fight against Covid-19. Everyone is encouraged to say hello as they stop by the nursing home to encourage the elderly, the police to give gifts and sing to congratulate the children’s birthdays, students who participate in the volunteer program to help with shopping. Prime Minister Ardern uses his personal Facebook account to answer questions for the public.
I also experienced the feeling of “holding my breath” When the new outbreak appeared, Nguyen Giang, who lives in the city of Christchurch, said she was concerned that some of her university colleagues were quite dismissive of Covid-19, maintaining a habit of shaking hands and close contact. On the government side, New Zealand initially did not check health at the airport, did not monitor the condition of the people who entered, leaving suspicious people to go to the hospital. However, when the case rose to approximately 100, the government began to take tough measures, giving the highest level of warning. Giang said the national blockade order of March 25 was timely. People have enough time to prepare for two days.
Because “catching” at home was not easy, Jiang and her husband planned to exercise at home to stay mentally strong. He also prepared a shopping list because only one person could go out at a time. Giang was relieved that stakeholders strictly followed the regulations (police, supermarket, hospital) and people were aware of compliance.
Another factor that helped make New Zealand’s Covid-19 block policy effective, according to Giang, is government financial support for workers so they can be home. Companies receive the money and pay the employees. The list of companies is updated on the government website. Giang does not like this policy because he has a job in Vietnam.
Pham Minh, also in Christchurch, is impressed by the government’s clear communication. New Zealand divides 4 levels of anti-epidemic, which details what to do. Daily, the Prime Minister’s press conference to clearly announce the situation. The government provides financial support to part-time workers, based on the number of hours worked, regardless of whether they are native or immigrant. Therefore, international students, who are entitled to a 12-week grant, strictly abide by the rules at home. Having participated in free trials, Minh said the process is very simple. Upon coughing, he called his GP and they checked him up near his home. “The free and easy process helps people feel safe and not hide disease,” Minh said when she received negative results.
In Auckland, where Le Lan lives, many people still go for walks, exercise but consciously keep a distance of 2m. On public transportation, authorities put up signs to cover your mouth when you sneeze, put the waste in the right place, and not expose yourself when symptoms occur.
“Authorities send messages to suspicious people to avoid transmission,” said Lan.
On April 9, the New Zealand Prime Minister announced that the strict blocking order was successful in fighting Covid-19, when the number of cases continuously decreased. New Zealand recorded more than 1,200 cases, just one death. Ms Ardern praised the people’s compliance for helping the epidemic plan to work, and confirmed that New Zealand still maintained its leadership, warning that lifting the restrictions could bring the country “back to the starting line.” .
On April 10, New Zealand recorded a rebound in nCoV infections after four consecutive days of decline. Public Health Director Caroline McElnay also warned New Zealand not to be complacent about early successes in the fight against Covid-19.
Giang in Christchurch said the government was still very cautious in deciding when to lift the blockade. As New Zealand is about to enter winter in May, it worries that the cost of living, including electricity bills, will skyrocket as daytime prices are too high.
According to Russia, the New Zealand government is acting quickly to avoid the risk of a “battle” due to its weak health system. The small number of hospitals, doctors and nurses does not guarantee that New Zealand will be kept up to date if the number of infected people is high. Although pleased that the government had a limited order soon, Russia was concerned that it would have to stop the business in the long term. She is not registered to receive benefits because she is not an employer. He also determined that it was time to reorganize life and save the maximum cost.
In addition to calling friends and family to request and share information, Russia is also busy with the plan to renovate houses.
“I already bought a lot of things and painted them with my husband and daughter, I painted hardwood floors and landscaped. The joy now is having a nice house at no cost,” said Russia.
Russia takes advantage of the lockout time to renovate houses. Photos: Character provided.
