Packards Down Under

A few friends sent me this NYTimes article about NZ's COVID strategy pivot this week from elimination to mitigation. The gist of conversation right now is whether or not this is the right thing to do. In short, it depends on who you ask, and time will tell. Some say the NZ government's loosened restrictions are still too severe; that the economic harm is grave; the psychological toll has been exhausted. Others say this relaxation comes too soon; that it indiscriminately endangers Māori and Pasifika peoples, who currently lag in vaccination ; that we've invested so long and at great cost to change course now.  The [few] locals I talk to overwhelmingly say it's time for a transition from elimination to mitigation, and in theory they embrace what comes with it—that NZ learn to live with COVID, loosen border restrictions, roll out and enforce strict vaccination incentives (but not requirements , the majority agree, as that would overly infringe one's freedom). To say n...

This wasn’t the start we had imagined. It’s been comically askew.   After making a heavy push through summer to leave California well and to ensure our immigration went smoothly, spending two weeks in an Auckland quarantine facility, then bursting free into our new surroundings for 5 days… WHAM-O!  NZ’s first community COVID case in nearly 6 months produced a nationwide lockdown. Five weeks of lockdown later, we—and the whole of New Zealand—are ready for a new chapter.  Fortunately, we made good headway to settle in during our 5 days of blissful COVID-free-ish existence here before the lockdown. We explored neighborhoods, went to our first rugby match, gathered a few supplies,  secured a car,   got into a long-term rental house, and visited the kids’ future school. That's paid dividends while businesses have been shut down. Sometimes it pays to move fast. One bright spot of NZ’s highest lockdown level is that outdoor exercise is allowed. That’s meant daily walks...