New Zealand now in full lockdown after one case of the delta variant found in the community last night . So far contact tracing has not been able to link the source to our borders or quarantine facilities . Further close contacts have been linked to the initial case this morning with investigations underway to determine the scope of infection . One close contact has been identified as a fully vaccinated hospital worker .

Our experts have closely been watching the recent outbreak of delta in Australia and are hoping to curtail the spread of this variant in New Zealand .

It looks as though New Zealand is not taking any chances with the Delta variant.

New Zealand enters nationwide lockdown over one Covid case

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58241619

New Zealand has announced a snap lockdown after a man tested positive for Covid, the first case in six months.

Hi Duttoneer lockdown was absolutely the right step to take . Already 10 new cases .. mostly young adults with multiple social places visited including bars , education facilities etc . The genome sequence indicates it is likely the NSW delta variant but the index case has yet to be identified . Possibly has been in the community for at least two weeks so potential for a large number of cases . There were 3 known positive cases in our isolation facilities who had returned from Australia so tracing and retesting of anyone who has been in recent isolation is also underway . Flight crew and passengers flying into New Zealand during August are also being looked at . As part of our trans Tasman bubble .. a negative covid test was required prior to boarding return flights to NZ. However , that would not rule out post flight infection. Tracing the infection back to our border would give some reassurance of where community spread is most likely and may mean only selected areas of Nz need to be in lockdown If a link cannot be found .. then number and presentation of positive cases will likely influence what happens next . Spring is just around the corner (sept) , so we have done so well to get to this point. Even without the burden of covid , our hospitals have struggled with capacity this winter with RSV and illness presentations .

Pandemic is a 2007 Hallmark Channel original miniseries with an ensemble cast. It premiered on May 26, 2007 at 8:00 PM

2 Part Miniseries
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YiBZp2JXXI
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tfg4KxBlwk

The youtube comments are pretty entertaining too.

Our daily televised covid updates are heating up the charts lol .

Daily at 1pm our prime minister Jacinda Ardern, director of health Ashley Bloomfield and police commissioner Andrew Coster( ) front up to the nation to provide a covid update during lockdowns .

I think they do an amazing job of keeping kiwis informed and reminding us to be kind and check on each other . Do other countries do similar ??!

I would love to see them wearing super hero costumes with their undies on the outside . Fabulous idea

This is

http://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/126124298/delta-is-here-to-shake-up-season-3-top-imdb-rating-for-return-of-daily-covid19-briefings

Totally proud of the kiwi attitude to covid

http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/126108936/message-from-darth-vader-help-children-suffering-anxiety-during-covid19-lockdown


Darth Vader messages sent to anxious children during lockdown ...
Awwww ... How cool is that

Well done David Britten

Something to cheer you up.

http://youtu.be/tRs1hFoGWRs Lockdown World

international criticism continues over New Zealand’s strict nationwide lockdown for one community case of covid .

That one case is now 183 cases , with thousands of close contacts identified and case numbers expected to rise .

Thoughts and prayers.
Be safe, my love.

seems your prayers are working delta case numbers continue to decline but we still have work to do , as a country to ensure that pattern continues .

I heard it mentioned twice now that things in Australia are so so bad.
So I Google as I have no idea what they're talking about.
The only thing I can find is that currently numbers are going up a bit, but still not all that much, and death per day isn't scarily high either.
So me's thinking, what's the big deal? What's the problem over there?

Okay, AUS roll-out of the substance is sluggish. But looking at numbers of countries where most everyone has been fully poisoned, like the US and UK, it doesn't make a difference anyway.
It keeps going up and down regardless.

Over here things are okayish, but I expect it to rise when the weather changes, which is pretty soon. Government will lock us up again.

So I guess no one knows?

Delta outbreak Australia and New Zealand....

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2021/09/covid-19-nsw-records-another-1431-cases-of-covid-19-12-deaths-victoria-s-outbreak-grows-by-208.amp.html


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-australia-gladys-berejiklian-warns-of-confronting-truth-nsw-is-about-to-face/7UX55HXZPGF2JKB2RR2JGHYSQE/

http://amp.abc.net.au/article/100431182

3O year old mother of 4 dies one day after testing positive for covid .
http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/nsw-records-further-12-deaths-linked-to-coronavirus-including-woman-in-30s-who-died-at-home/news-story/407acb68bcd664c83948ed2c2551407e?amp

This morning a 4 year old child has tested positive .


Although there is evidence of spread of delta in other Australia states , the state of New South Wales has been the hardest hit .

“On Friday, New South Wales Health confirmed 1431 new locally acquired cases had been detected in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday (local time).

There have been 119 COVID-related deaths in NSW since its outbreak began on June 16, and 175 in total since the start of the pandemic.

There are currently 979 people in hospital, 160 are in the ICU”

Delta does not just target the elderly . At least one third of patients in ICU are reported as being young adults .

As in New Zealand ., Australia has been slow to vaccinate , mainly due to our geographical location and low incidence of covid .. clearly both countries felt there was no urgency and although vaccinations were being rolled out to frontline staff and at risk populations .. the plan was to slowly vaccinate the remainder of people over the coming months . Only recently has a decision been reached (in NZ) to offer vaccines to children over 12. Massive efforts are now underway in both countries to vaccinate against covid .

http://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/6403a22a-92fb-4008-b885-0c1435bc92a8

Both countries agree that until high vaccination rates are achieved , lifting lockdown with uncontrolled spread remains high risk .

One of the other issues facing
Australia is community spread with unlinked cases .. when cases can be linked to other cases or to a known source that gives some reassurance that the chain of infection can be controlled . It is a major difference between what is happening in NZ and Australia . Contract tracing in NZ has been able to link the majority of new cases to an existing source . Our case numbers continue to show a downward trend but knowing how quickly and easily delta spreads , we remain cautious and vigilant .

http://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/65ee67dc-c48f-4f9d-9b57-cb7c196a095b

Thank you, Blondey!
So it's basically all about the Delta variant raging.

If I may ask... what have you decided or done concerning getting the vaccine or not?
For me it has to get really very very bad to consider it. Part cos I don't want it, big part also because I'm scared of getting it since I have health issues that could get worse (tinnitus, vertigo, upset pituitary gland, and history of epilepsy that has been dormant for years etc.) I'd be chit scared to trigger any or all of these.

And to be honest, not sure the vaccine would really help for this Delta variant either. I read they're not sure but some say around 80-88%. Yet, in the UK most are fully vaccinated but it's where they have a huge problem with new Delta cases.
What to believe...

In any case, thanks for the help & info!

Hi crystal . I had my second Pfizer vaccine back in May :-) and have no regrets .

. As yet there has been no plan announced for a third booster in NZ . I believe Israel are currently administering booster shots, the outcome of which will be followed closely by the scientific community .

At this early stage , vaccination does not guarantee that an individual will not be infected with covid , however evidence shows the Pfizer vaccination is extremely protective and reduces the likelihood of severe infection , hospitalisation and death from the virus . .

The following article has some recent stats about efficacy against delta ...

http://www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/09/01/are-covid-vaccines-becoming-less-effective-.html

I can understand your apprehension but have you considered what would happen if you were infected with covid and how happy are you with that risk ? As more of the population is vaccinated you may find your personal risk may well increase . I don’t say that to scare you ., but potentially that could become the reality you may face . How confident are you that your body could fight the infection? We know vaccinated people can still carry the virus but unclear how infectious they are to those unvaccinated .

If you have concerns about epilepsy or worsening of pre-existing tinnitus etc your neurologist would be the best person to give you trusted advice . From what I have read via the epilepsy society, no concerns have been raised relating to epilepsy and Pfizer .

Winter approaching your part of the world will be a good test of how effective vaccination is against delta and how much control we have in this pandemic .

Already there is another variant Mu which WHO are monitoring . No matter how you look at it ..clearly we remain vulnerable to covid .

Vaccination for many is still a personal choice (there are signs that is changing with the introduction of new employment laws and mandatory vaccinations for frontline workers etc ) . Obviously you need to be happy and confident in your decision making . Best wishes x

Well, I've done some more reading... I'm not following things day to day, but sometimes I do feel I have to get informed so I'm up to speed again.

Happy to hear you are fine after having the vaccines! I was curious what you'd done in the end as last time I asked you weren't sure either.

So far it still remains a big risk to me.
I read of someone's mom that never had vertigo and got it so bad after the V that she couldn't do anything at all anymore, just lay in the sofa and feel horrible.
If that lasts your life could as well be over anyway.

Tinnitus, people commit suicide to be rid of it...

These are things that are pretty meaningless to people who don't have this. It's like watching a movie about a tsunami or tornado. You go like "Wow, OMG!!" but you still cannot fathom what it's like to be in that.
I never even knew about tinnitus or vertigo, until I got both. And there's nothing they can do about it. And sometimes the tinnitus is so hotdanged bad you'd want to stick a screwdriver in your ear, even though I know it has nothing to do with the ear.

All in all taking the risk that these issues get worse... I just daren't.
A friend of mine has tinnitus, his got way worse after the first shot. He said, "It's like there was a jetplane in my brain!" Luckily for him it subsided after 24 hrs.
But what if you have to live with that if it doesn't go? I'd want euthanasia, and I'm not joking. Occasionally it's bad, and it's unbearable.

So for now... I'm going without. It would've been different had it been a vaccine that didn't affect the central nervous system. Then I'd likely have gone for it.
I will keep an eye on the development of this Delta variant though.

Thanks for all the info!

You may be interested in this crystal ....

http://cdn.ymaws.com/www.theabn.org/resource/collection/65C334C7-30FA-45DB-93AA-74B3A3A20293/ABN_Guidance_on_COVID-19_Vaccinations_for_people_with_neurological_conditions_9.1.21.pdf

The unfortunate thing is a covid infection may well aggravate tinnitus but the bigger concern would be the neurological damage covid is capable of causing. How confident are you that you will remain covid free ? Do you feel that you are less at risk from a covid infection than vaccination ? Just another perspective to consider

Have been using this global covid tracker which also includes vaccination rates ....

http://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/countries-and-territories/new-zealand/

Sadly , looking around the world .. the number of cases and deaths continue to grow . still nowhere near achieving global herd immunity .

Update from Australia ...


“There were now 1714 active cases across the Australian state, and the figures showed that younger Victorians were being hit hard in the latest outbreak.
“The age breakdown confirms that this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Andrews said on Sunday morning.
“Two hundred and 16 of our cases are aged zero to nine, 232 are aged 10-19, 348 are aged in their 20s, and 245 are aged in their 30s.”

Of the new cases today, 91 per cent are under 50.”

There are 89 people being treated for coronavirus in Victorian hospitals, 24 are in intensive care units and 13 are on ventilators.
“Only one person who is in hospital has been fully vaccinated, again just making the point that if you are double-dose protected with either of the vaccines that are available, then you are almost certain to avoid very serious illness,” Andrews said.
“It’s another reminder and important point to make about appointments to get vaccinated and vaccinated quickly.”


http://i.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/300399844/covid19-australia-victorias-delta-outbreak-a-pandemic-of-the-unvaccinated

As for New Zealand .. new cases continue to decline ... 20 new cases today . Lockdown for most of New Zealand expected to drop this week , while Auckland (north island) where the outbreak is centred will likely remain in full lockdown .