OT - In these weird times

[JJ]

Whats the general mood on the political handling of the crisis in NZ? From what I can see Labour seems to be doing pretty much everything right so far, they've been ahead of Aus on most control measures as well as with their financial relief package.
On this side of the ditch there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of initiative and direction, Scomo seems to be copying what other leaders do and we passed 700 cases today.

I’m no fan of this lot but they’re doing ok

Not enough testing imo and the balance of the ‘package’ is debatable

Tbh in this situation I’d be devastated if they couldn’t do ok, it’s their day-to-day incompetence that’s appalls me. The fact that imbeciles like Twyford, Clarke, Davis etc still have roles reflects badly, along with the costing to NZ First assholes and The Greens who aren’t Green

Just my opinion fwiw

 

[vvvrulz]

It's great to learn more about you guys.

I'm a software analyst, which lends itself quite easily to working remotely thankfully. The peace & quiet and clean out of non-essential meetings is actually working nicely. Have a young family so certainly being cautious and sensible.

I think NZ has handled this reasonably well (certainly could have been much worse), but time will tell too, the next week or so is crucial. I do wish some of the public would realise grocery hoarding achieves nothing and makes it harder for everyone including themselves, I wonder how much food will get demolished for the sake of eating it, or just binned.

Be calm, isolate, shop as you *normally* would and don't let this thing get silly.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I’m no fan of this lot but they’re doing ok

Not enough testing imo and the balance of the ‘package’ is debatable

Tbh in this situation I’d be devastated if they couldn’t do ok,

yeah I hope they ramp up testing numbers, I heard a target number of 20,000 from a government official who said that’s when they’d be more confident.

Re your last point, just look across the ditch, the lack of leadership and initiative on it here is appalling.thats what really gets me at times like this. Jacinda has earned a reputation for being good at crisis management not because she does anything that amazing but because she does things that you’d expect any competent pollie to do. Yet when similar thing happen in other countries their pollies seem unable to do that.

 

[bileduct]

Is there a site where all NRL fans can send a thank you out to the Warriors for their sacrifice to keep the game going?

Seriously if fans were allowed these blokes shd be applauded every round they play away from loved ones.

But there must be a site where everyone can express appreciation for their sacrifice now. Let us know.

Chez Cuz...

Become a member.

https://www.warriors.kiwi/membership/packages/

$19.95, or $35 with a hat.

I'm a Raiders member, now I'm a Warriors member as well.

 

[Blair]

It was nice to read all the posts on here - particularly Space and his fat cat!

I just re-read my first post and realised I didn't make it clear that, not only was I in a supermarket, but I actually work in one.

So that's where the "horror show" comes from.

I don't do the 'social-distancing' thing naturally either, I want to be out and about, particularly during the day. However, I'm following the professional advice, keep a metre and a half away, where possible.

Now, incredibly, I'm still waiting for that urgent government public health campaign to appear across all media, educating people on the importance of this 1.5 metre thing, coughing into elbows, basic hand-washing, etc. It's easy stuff, a simple cartoon does the trick.

Two days ago this bloke thought it was thoroughly OK to be pushing his trolley down aisle one, openly coughing and spluttering as he went. It has deteriorated, yesterday an older dude did this aggressive, open cough as he was leaving and passing me working on the register. He gave me this smugly defiant 'what are you going to do about it?' look. Another woman jabbed me with her mobile phone as she panicked that she didn't have my attention.

They're the tip of the iceberg. The other thing is the animated nature of people, they're excited! Right up in your face, laughing, shouting, gesticulating, leaning in, when I'm leaning out. They not getting it.

In regard to the panic-buying we're convinced they're coming up from Sydney to strip our stores of a large range of products. Locals don't stand a chance.

Thank God it's match-day and I, so far, have the day off.

C'mon Warriors, lift our spirits.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

This time last week Australia had 200 cases.

We've crossed 1,000 now.

If they can't get that percentage growth lowered it's going to shut down a lot of places in the next two weeks.

 

[MKEB...]

I manage a barber shop, I have put up signs on the window saying " if you have bugs, nits, covid19 or are self isolating...dont expect a haircut"

On a daily basis at the best of times, I get guys coming in taking a sick day and want a haircut...well guys, thanks a f***ing lot. As it is, I have just spent 2 weeks trying to get rid of a headcold.

For 26 years as a barber, I have always shook every customers hand, and never worn gloves to cut hair.
I still dont wear gloves, but sanitise my hands after every cut...( bejaysus are my hands dry though). and I am slowly feeling less ridiculous about alternative handshakes.

I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I manage a barber shop, I have put up signs on the window saying " if you have bugs, nits, covid19 or are self isolating...dont expect a haircut"

On a daily basis at the best of times, I get guys coming in taking a sick day and want a haircut...well guys, thanks a f***ing lot. As it is, I have just spent 2 weeks trying to get rid of a headcold.

For 26 years as a barber, I have always shook every customers hand, and never worn gloves to cut hair.
I still dont wear gloves, but sanitise my hands after every cut...( bejaysus are my hands dry though). and I am slowly feeling less ridiculous about alternative handshakes.

I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks

gotta do it man. My barber in Sydney has shut down. Gonna have to let the beard go full feral for the winter I guess

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I'll throw my hat in the ring.

I have been a pharmacist for coming up 18 years (to long), always an employee.
Loved Aussie ever since I visited at 15.
Married a beautiful Australian 13 years ago and have 3 beautiful children (all girls, working on the gun license).

This week has been extremely draining at work, it has been like 6 christmas eves in a row without the 2 day break with food, family and xmas bonus.
Phone calls are up 6 fold, scripts near doubled, in a smaller pharmacy so no extra staff to call on.
Luckly not to much violence when refusing to dispense more than 1 month supply. Had also been restricting Panadol and Ventolin supply before instructed by TGA (Sad most pharmacies saw $$$ first), so we have plenty in stock.

I've not worried about job security currently. But the robots are coming for a lot of jobs if predictions are to be correct.

A lot of patients I serve are in the high risk. But we have a mixed response from those really worried (around 20%) to those saying if my times up its up.
More middle age children are worried about giving it to their parents.

We legally have to complete 40 hours of continued education each year, most of mine I try to attend/learn GP level training. I've been consuming as much info possible to keep patients informed.

I am dealing with a lot of people thinking they have COVID-19 when they get a sore throat.

I try to explain we are looking for fever sore throat and a dry cough.
There are 3 types of patients
Patient A: infected traveler
Patient B: travelers family member
Patient C: unrelated to patient A&B

You need to watch for the patient C numbers in your area to become concerned.

In the area I live and work social distancing is a natural thing as we have space.

I have seen people wearing masks that won't filter viruses and N95 masks completely wrong, on correction still didn't get it right.

My side of the family is all in NZ, I am not concerned for my parents as they live on a farm and in good health. So are my brother and sister.

This is some of the scary modeling.
https://t.co/AwE2cHIbeJ?amp=1

Like some I wonder about the cost of inaction vs action.
Inaction (by above modeling) is a large death toll mainly over 65 with comorbidities and in 5 months it is all over.
I wonder about the debt the government will be in at the end of this.(18 months by the above modelling)
The burden placed on my childrens and childrens childrens generation. How the gap between the have and the have-nots will increase.
But government's are damned if you do, damned if you dont as their job is to protect their citizen.

I am also interested the protocols and protections that will come out of this all.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

One of the biggest issue is population density, greater sydney is 12000 sq km and fits the whole of NZ population in that space (4.8 million), spreads out as you move west.
(North island alone is 113 000 sqm)
Auckland density quite high with 1.65 million in 1100 sqm.

New York 8.6 million people in 783.8sq km. About half the size and double the population of Sydney.
Would spread like wild fire there.

 

[shiznit]

I work for MSD... have done so for 15yrs in various roles from frontline to operation’s.

Currently I’m back in frontline at the contact centre so my job is probably about as safe as you can get considering in these times we just get busier.

we had en extremely busy week last week and expect things to only get busier with the rolling out of new packages etc... I’m also one of the staff that man the Govt Emergency Help Line... so we’ve been getting a lot of overflow from healthline who have been absolutely overwhelmed.

usually in times like this I get moved back into frontline because I’ve dealt with these situations... I remember being on emergency response for both Chch Earthquakes, the floods in the BOP/Edgecumbe, and even the shootings last year...

the earthquakes were really tough, just the number of people needing assistance and the types of help they needed and working 24/7 to help people who were just devastated... but this is a whole different level.

just sooo widespread and and situations are different which need to be handled with an open mind.

On top of that we’re trying to keep ourselves safe... I have kids ranging from high school, primary school and early childhood... with another one due in about a fortnight...

so preparing for a new baby in amongst all this chaos just adds another layer to this wild period.

 

[Matua]

Become a member.

https://www.warriors.kiwi/membership/packages/

$19.95, or $35 with a hat.

I'm a Raiders member, now I'm a Warriors member as well.

I would like to contribute, but the problem with that is then the idiotic organisation that is the Warriors might think I support their inept management. I'm genuinely torn.

 

[Blair]

I would like to contribute, but the problem with that is then the idiotic organisation that is the Warriors might think I support their inept management. I'm genuinely torn.

True, I can't become a member on that basis.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

NRL done for now, all non essential travel baned

 

[TheDMC]

According to Stuff, last night in Wellington, bars etc were full. WtF? NZ should already be in full lockdown mode if any chance to contain this...

 

[SpaceMonkey]

According to Stuff, last night in Wellington, bars etc were full. WtF? NZ should already be in full lockdown mode if any chance to contain this...

Did you see the photos of Bondi Beach a couple of days ago? People are morons. They need to be given orders, not suggestions.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

NRL done for now, all non essential travel banned

Might be premature but looks like states starting to close their boarders. SA shut at 4pm Tuesday.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I work for MSD... have done so for 15yrs in various roles from frontline to operation’s.

Currently I’m back in frontline at the contact centre so my job is probably about as safe as you can get considering in these times we just get busier.

we had en extremely busy week last week and expect things to only get busier with the rolling out of new packages etc... I’m also one of the staff that man the Govt Emergency Help Line... so we’ve been getting a lot of overflow from healthline who have been absolutely overwhelmed.

usually in times like this I get moved back into frontline because I’ve dealt with these situations... I remember being on emergency response for both Chch Earthquakes, the floods in the BOP/Edgecumbe, and even the shootings last year...

the earthquakes were really tough, just the number of people needing assistance and the types of help they needed and working 24/7 to help people who were just devastated... but this is a whole different level.

just sooo widespread and and situations are different which need to be handled with an open mind.

On top of that we’re trying to keep ourselves safe... I have kids ranging from high school, primary school and early childhood... with another one due in about a fortnight...

so preparing for a new baby in amongst all this chaos just adds another layer to this wild period.

While not a lot of data at the moment, the virus is not a risk to mum or baby from the few cases witnessed in China.
Just hope hospital beds available for birthing.
By the 4th your considered a pro?
(Shouldn't joke all 3 of mine had complications and needed assistance)

 

[shiznit]

While not a lot of data at the moment, the virus is not a risk to mum or baby from the few cases witnessed in China.
Just hope hospital beds available for birthing.
By the 4th your considered a pro?
(Shouldn't joke all 3 of mine had complications and needed assistance)

Yeah I think the hospital is the main issue. We’ve had a fair amount of problems too... including my son who was a 26 weeker!

because of our history we HAVE to have the birth in hospital and then we can move to the birthing centre if there’s not too many complications.

My biggest concern is just not picking up a cold or something in the lead up to the birth or I’ll end up having to miss the birth.

 

[Cold Roses]

Grew up in Wellington playing guitar in various bands. Spent 20 years managing bars and pubs in Wellington, Melbourne and now Nashville. Had a Tornado come within actual minutes of our home just weeks ago which our city is still recovering from, and now this is escalating.

Most States are very slow to react over here, and it’s going to become a problem. NY and California in particular have gotten in front of it, but the rest of the country is dragging its feet. It doesn’t help matters when you have people that actually, genuinely, believe that this is all some sort of plot to get Trump out of office in an election year.

I saw that Australia just closed bars and pubs yesterday. It may prove to be a bit too late now. Family is all still in Wgtn and I’m hoping that NZ is in less risk than Aus.