Thread by @Aaron_Derfel

1) New Zealand, which for so long had fended off the #pandemic with well-planned public health protections, is now in the grip of an #Omicron-driven wave. But unlike Hong Kong where #COVID deaths are soaring, New Zealand is faring much better. In this thread, I will explain why.

2) First, though, let us examine the current state of contagion in New Zealand, a progressive island nation of more than 5 million people. The country reported 14,633 new cases of #COVID19 in the community on Monday as it carries out widespread testing, unlike in Canada.

3) New Zealand’s Ministry of Health has declared 344 patients in hospital being treated for #COVID, with five in the ICU. That compares with 1,446 such hospitalizations in Québec, which has a population 8.6 million and which has often resorted to half measures in the #pandemic.

4) New Zealand's #COVID contagion is being driven largely by #Omicron and its sub-variant BA.2, which both quickly overtook the Delta #corornavirus. But unlike what is now occurring in Hong Kong, the Omicron wave has not resulted in skyrocketing hospitalizations. Why is that?

5) The short answer is that unlike Hong Kong, New Zealand has succeeded in carrying out mass vaccination against #COVID. In fact, New Zealand has already surpassed Canada in boosting its population, as the chart below by Our World in Data makes clear.

6) New Zealand, one of the first nations in the world to implement effective public health measures, switched more than a month ago to “life at red,” a color-coded alert system that Québec and other politically-motivated jurisdictions abandoned much earlier in the #pandemic.

7) At the red setting, Kiwis “can visit cafés and bars, attend gatherings and events, and (even) go to the hairdresser and gym" — provided they have a “vaccine pass,” according to New Zealand’s government. Meanwhile, Québec and other jurisdictions are moving to do the opposite.

8) Inspired by Canada’s anti-mask trucker protests, demonstrators in New Zealand did take to its Parliament two weeks ago. But cheeky authorities cracked down swiftly by playing old Barry Manilow songs on loop, along with vaccine messages. Would Ottawa police have done the same.

9) To date, New Zealand has not counted a single #COVID death in its #Omicron-driven wave. New Zealand last declared a #pandemic fatality on Dec. 28, as the chart compiled from information by Johns Hopkins University shows below.

10) It’s still early days in New Zealand’s latest #COVID wave. But its high rate of vaccination and reliance on public health protections suggest it will fare much better than many jurisdictions, Canada included. This strategy is known as true #VaccinePlus. End of thread.

ADDENDUM: I'm indebted to Patrick Lam (@va2lam) for pointing out an error in tonight's thread. On Feb. 25, New Zealand did confirm #COVID deaths in its #Omicron wave — five in fact, not yet posted on may official dashboards. My apologies.