Forgot to mention on the butchers :
Thousands of shops open means less people congregating in one place. Dairies seem to manage their “one in one out” scheme so butchers and the like are also capable of doing that.

And butchers don’t have people pawing at their wares like you see in the supermarkets. You know, like the New World one that has been revealed to have had an infected worker there. How many people who would’ve gone elsewhere had they had the chance have now been put at risk?

I do value lives over money, however people’s businesses are their lives and so far the government’s actions are killing more people than the virus.

Firstly, as I said the vast majority of cases recover with little issue. How does the fact that some people are on respirators change that? Any chance you can actually give a decent answer to that question?

People actually die as a result of stubbing their toe or getting a splinter in their finger while cutting wood, or from a bee sting. Does the fact that some people die from those things make it a major issue for the rest of us? Of course not.

Covid-19 is a panic over something relatively small. It’s infection number has barely passed the numbers of deaths from any one of a number of other conditions, in fact it’s number of infections barely reaches the number of deaths from any of the bottom items on the top 10 causes of death lists, and the actual number of deaths is only worth a few days of the numbers of people starvation kills, or a few weeks worth of suicides.

BTW, you notice the government is not reporting the suicide rate from this? People I know have lost loved ones in NZ to the Covid-19 panic, people who see the unending despair and gloom painted by the media and who are losing their jobs or homes, and cannot see any hope of this ending from our disgusting PM who thinks it is more important to talk down to the nation on a daily basis than actually come up with answers as to what will get us out of this level 4 nonsense.

As far as the cops visiting the neighbour – that added a lot of un-necessary stress and fear into a person’s life. And yes, with the way they’re acting of late there is much to fear from them – NZ’s police force has earned it’s reputation as a corrupt bunch of immature idiots, and their is a reason the nation distrusts them. The neighbourhood also has been broken as kids are afraid to play in their yard in case missus so-and-so narcs on them. All they achieved was to bring more stress to a place than was needed – and it now turns out their visit was quite illegal.

As to speeding, I haven’t had a ticket in more than a decade despite travelling far above average distances, and that was because of a missed sign. I am someone who actually could argue such a case in court successfully should I wish to, and could also argue for people to be ticketed in other cases. My work history has put me in a position to not only have been able to give instruction to people attending crash scenes but I have also been asked to comment on causes of single-vehicle crashes where there is no obvious reason.

And no, if I got a ticket for speeding then I deserve to get a ticket for speeding. I don’t always agree with certain speed limits in certain areas but I respect them as they are put there for a reason. Usually that reason relates to road or road use conditions that may not be immediately visible, sometimes it relates to high crash rates on a road that should be safer at a higher speed but for some reason isn’t. The signs aren’t always the best for all situations, but they do give a good indication to the condition of the road or road users, and deserve some level of respect.

If I get a speeding ticket it is because I have failed in my duty to take notice of the road signs and respond accordingly.

I am sure your medical knowledge will be of help,to those people on respirators in USA Italy or Spain. Let them know it’s only a little in convince and they will be fine tomorrow.
There are thousands of butcher and baker shops in NZ do they all open .My local butchers shop is small as is the bakery and green grocer all of which I use frequently and I miss them but realise my needs come second to the total story.
I am happy that the police followed up on your neighbour and I am sure it would have been sorted. I image you would be one of those that complain about a speed ticket when you judged it was save to drive fast

I’m a rule breaker. Please tell me how I endanger public health.

I live alone now (moved to a single flat shortly before the lockdown). I’ve always been a clean person since experiencing some severe self-supplied food poisoning as a teen-aged farmhand.

I exercise miles from home (breaking the rules) – but I do that as it is the best way for me to avoid being around others when I do, rather than walking on my busy street.

I interact with a number of other people each day as I drop in groceries or meals. Sometimes more than one trip to the shops each day. Supposed to only interact with a small few people but no one else is doing this (not for these people).

Many of those I see are older people who’ve lost their family and friends to the years. They have few if any who check on them or talk to them. I take precautions to protect them but it breaks my heart to see them alone and wanting someone to sit in their living room or at their table and talk with them for a while. For some, sitting a couple of metres apart doesn’t work well because of sight or hearing issues. And for at least a couple, it’s really doubtful they’d get though this winter any way – what’s the point of making their last days miserable and filled with more lonliness when they could have some company instead?

Yup, I’m a rule-breaker and proud of it. If the government wanted to be serious they could be making sure every one coming into NZ goes into a strict quarantine for 2 weeks. They could’ve closed the border earlier as well. Their dropping the ball then doesn’t excuse increasing the suffering of some now.

This culture of being nasty busybodies could do far more damage to the nation than C19.

Yup.

I go a couple of miles from home for my exercise, to a quiet area where I can be alone.

I am concerned some wannabe stasi will give the plod a call one of these days, but the thing is…. 1) Where I go to unwind is on my normal route collecting stuff for those who can’t do it themselves, 2) my local area has a LOT of people walking/biking, being a large and very busy street. Oh, and 3) Thanks to the lock down I’m being exposed to stuff I’d rather not have to deal with so much – largely lonely people who I’d normally give a bit of comfort to but now have to knock on their door and step back several paces to be sure they’re safe. Vulnerable people, some who’re unlikely to get through the winter anyway, and are craving some simple human contact but we’re not allowed to.

I’m one who is most likely to be snitched on by some scumbag with no sense of compassion and nothing better to do than to bring misery to another’s life, yet I am one who is working to make life better for those I can. If I wind up being locked up for “breaking the rules” it’s probable people will miss out on the meals I am bringing them.

Fuck you narcs. I hope your actions lead to a long life of lonliness, wondering why your neighbours never talk to you and your family never calls any more. I am so over dealing with the pain your selfish thoughtless acts cause.

“Why is it that nobody in NZ does this sort of thing?”

Probably because some nolife numbnutz would narc on them for having fun.

Sadly we used to have so much great comedy, stuff that was the envy of the world and quite world famous. But today? I think the best we can offer is that “7 days” program on 3, and I gave up watching that a couple of years back.

What the hell happened to the NZ I grew up in? What the hell have we become where we’d rather cross the street than talk to our neighbour?

Trevor, did you not notice that the vast majority of people who get Covid 19 recover without any ill effects, and it is quite possible that the majority of those who get it don’t even know about it since the symptoms are so mild?

As to this “narc on your neighbour” garbage, that’s all it is, garbage. We had a lovely neighbour lady decide to ring the cops about the bloke visiting another neighbour on a regular basis. Never bothered to check why he was there – a son dropping groceries off to parents who’re in the upper levels of the ‘high risk” category. Of course wonderful Mr Plod was so understanding that he stopped short of taking his nightstick to the old dear who answered the door – they do love their new police state!.

And to the butcheries/grocers. I guess you haven’t had decent food in a while, or you’d know you’re far less likely to get CV19 in these places. 1) They could be managed the same as the many dairies that are open (7 within an easy walk of my home), 2) Most of the butcheries I’ve been to have all of their wares behind a decent sneeze guard whereas the refuse the supermarkets sell has been pawed at by clueless twits who think wearing the same gloves and mask 24//7 will somehow protect them.

Oh, and given how far droplets from a sneeze can travel, are you really stupid enough to think those queues at the supermarkets are going to help even a teency little bit?

The numbers are a bit funny..

Did you know that last year nearly 20,000 Italians died from Influenza? Did you know Influenza kills over 650,000 people each year?

Did you know that just yesterday some 25,000 people in the world died from starvation, much the same the day before that and – well in a little over 48 hours as many die from starvation as Covid-19 has officially killed.

Over 2,000 people died by their own hand yesterday. Thousands from other illnesses. How many does heart disease kill each year? Traffic crashes? Skin cancer (I believe 350 Kiwi’s die from that each year).

I do take this seriously. Most of my family and friends are in the high-risk groups. But given how relatively few people have died from Covid-19 compared with so many other things, I don’t believe there is a reason to panic or to claim you’re risking your life. As a cabbie, your chances of dying in a car crash are much higher than your chances of being infected with Covid-19 (at 800 people in NZ that’s less than 1 in 5,000 infected). You’re more likely to die from melanoma, heart disease, influenza or many other illnesses than CV19.

And while I am perhaps not classed as an essential worker I am out in my community helping people out. I am at the supermarkets more often (thanks Labour, by closing down the smaller places you INCREASE OUR RISKS – not that I fear this) as a result of buying for a number of other people. I am at a high risk of getting this.

But I want to get it. I really do. Once I have had it it is over and done, in 2-4 weeks I am safe and never again need fear picking it up from some entitled brat’s booger on supermarket packaging and passing it on to someone I love – who quite possibly could have severe complications. Nope, to get it and know I have it and be done with it would suit me quite well. I am probably one of those who’ll have mild symptoms (and may already have had it), but might also be one who has it bad, but at least it’ll be done and over with.

Now that’s over, think I’ll grab a cuppa and have a nice lie down…

Keepcalmcarryon: “Probably there is less moral judgement involved when reporting a hooded man with a baseball bat climbing in through the neighbours window, than a legal jogger on the footpath or two people walking at the beach, but I could be wrong.”

Agreed. Reporting the former is what we’d all do, in the interests of neighbourhood security. With regard to the latter, how the hell is anyone supposed to know whether any rule is being broken? Most of us, I suspect, would err on the side of minding our own damn business. Except, of course, and in the current environment, for the OK Karen snitchers of this world.

Apologies to anybody inoffensive named Karen, who’s reading this: don’t take it personally.

Wild Katipo: “That’s interesting about the Rainbow Warrior/ French agent affair.”

That it is. And the most interesting aspect of that whole story is that our much-vaunted security services – SIS, GCSB – played absolutely no role in the capture of those French agents. They were caught by the local police, with help from a bunch of nosy locals.

Nor did the security services manage to prevent the attack in the first place. We are justified in asking whether they contribute anything of moment to protecting national security.