Thread by @GodlessNZ

(1) Thread:

Welp. New Zealand's COVID19 situation is getting really bad. We don't have high numbers to show for it, yet.

But we do have a tiny health system, & some extremely worried doctors. They say we will soon be like ITALY.

And our government refuses to listen to them.

(2) I've been following COVID19 news since around the 20th of January IIRC. Might have been a bit before that, not sure.

I have seen the signs all along that the NZ govt wasn't going hard and fast, as it needed to.

I think it's too late now. I'm actually at peace about it.

(3) I've been self isolated as a precaution for 5 days. We are well stocked, we have very good morale (one of us can remember WWII, for example.)

I'm doing everything I possibly can to stay safe & keep my family & friends safe.

Very blessed to have these people in my life.

(4) Also very blessed with the cutest little dog in the world, electricity, broadband, phones, water, wastewater, TV, radio, a fantastic library of books, & a pharmacy that delivers (safely.)

People delivered some more food today. Love seeing a friendly face, 6 feet away.

(5) We laughed tonight that finally the fuel prices have come down, but we're not driving around much. (An outing in the car is an activity we will do... quite safe if we stay in the car.) Our garden is getting a lot of use, too. It will soon be winter.

Humor is important.

(6) Now here's the bad news we got today, that made it clear where things are now at. Most Kiwis will not have grasped it yet. They may still argue against the doctors. I don't see the point in that.

The letter for more doctors to sign:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

(7) This started as a petition and garned the signatures of around 100 doctors. When the public started signing they decided to split it into two documents - one for the doctors, one for everyone else.

The nurses' union is opposing the doctors, and us.

newshub.co.nz/home/new-zeala…

(8) This is the public petition that they plan to present at parliament tomorrow morning. (It's Sunday night here.)

change.org/p/medical-prof…

(9) I ask you to pray for New Zealand not because I believe the Almighty is a vending machine who will produce if enough people pray.

I ask because I was raised in a Christian home and I know what the Bible says about hope, love and community.

Knowing you care, helps us cope.

(10) The other bit of news I saw on TV tonight that gave me pause was an absolutely beautiful PSA with a selection of our great sportsmen and women, songwriters, actors, and our greatest living military hero.

Their faces belied their own pain & distress. They couldn't hide it.

(11) It was quite a shock to see about a dozen faces of people I've seen on TV and in movies for years, and they were very concerned.

One of them was Olympian Valerie Adams the sister of basketball player Stephen Adams. They come from a big family.

(12) I'd love to show the ad here but I can't find it online yet. When it becomes available I will add it. You will see what I mean.

Their honesty is a welcome change from the BS we see daily from certain figures in our government.

But I'm past blaming either side.

(13) I have my views about how NZ got to this dark place, but right now I just want my fellow Kiwis to live. Politics doesn't matter to me atm. I have work to do and scenarios to prepare for, logistically and emotionally.

It's surreal. I think that's the best word for it.

(14) For those who don't know, I have diabetes & other medical conditions placing me at high risk if I get COVID19.

That's why I'm not treating this as "just the flu," "most people recover" etc. I know those are facts, but when folk tell me them...

It's not the time for that.

(15) Here's the NZ TV message I mentioned upthread.

stuff.co.nz/national/healt…

(16) Good morning, world. Thank you for reading & sharing my thread. I wish I had better news for you. Maybe today NZ's alert level will go up.

Here's some Chicken Soup for the Gen-X Soul in the form of 1983's Blue Monday by New Order:

(17) Looks like I need to spell it out for some people.

Because of the facts on the ground in NZ (provided above in 1-16) and my precarious health before the pandemic started, I could die within a few weeks or months.

So pls think before you reply.

(18) Watching the NZ PM's live presser. FINALLY they have raised the Alert Level to 3 out of 4.

I was at 5 a week ago. Doctors still demand Level 4.

This is better than nothing. But it's still concerning. I don't trust these morons.

#nzpol #CloseNZ

(19) Wow, they are actually going to raise NZ to Alert Level 4 in 48 hours. Thank G-d.

To recap:

Saturday: Level 2
Monday: Level 3
Wednesday Level 4

I gotta be grateful for this. It might work. #CloseNZ #Level4NOW

(20) A summary of the main points for NZ today.

(21) Watching NZ's live presser with the key people co-ordinating the government response.

Impressed with the 3 guys from ops, policy and health. Common sense people.

Not impressed with Police Commissioner Bush.

He has one hell of an ego. And is also too soft on crime.

(22) Commissioner Bush's body language tells me what his attitude is. All the others in this presser are behaving in ways that are professional, knowledgeable, empathetic and rooted in common sense. Esp. the person in charge.

I will write another thread with more details.

(23) Good morning, New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Here's some classic GenX 80s Kiwi music: Forever Tuesday Morning by the Mockers.

(24) The cover of today's NZ Herald:

Whanau is Maori for family. It's a wider concept of family than in my British heritage. It's normal for Kiwis of any background to use some of the more common Maori terms for things.

nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/articl…

(25) Watching today's live briefing by NZ govt on TV.

I am actually impressed with PM Ardern's performance here.

Ofc I will always disagree with her left wing policies BUT...

I've assessed her objectively, and her speaking skills are exceptional. Clear, sensible, caring.

(26) PM Ardern is doing great.

Also, just noticed that the NZ sharemarket (stockmarket) has rebounded today by 6%. A damn good sign.

Since the announcement on Mon, our phone network has crashed, is only intermittent now.

We're all pulling together. Truly the lucky country.

(27) Kiwis are in love with all of our "essential workers" keeping the necessities of life going.

The #staythefhome message is being sent very clearly on live TV.

We can thank our essential workers by doing #slowthespread behaviors.

#Gowashyourhands!