Before I start writing, I feel that I should let you all know that my feelings about coronavirus are all over the place and I'm not completely sure how to make sense of them. I am both thankful for time at home and crushed by guilt that I'm safe at home while others are suffering. I am both energized by the exciting new teach-from-home innovations I'm leading and constantly on the verge of tears. So if the following post contradicts itself and/or is confusing, that's why.
So, to summarize an insanely complex situation in NZ, we are doing very well compared to many other places, and I believe we have a good chance of making sure it never gets as bad here as it has around the world. You'll notice in the following list that the government, headed by our incredible Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has acted quickly and strongly, which I think is what is needed, although I also know it is scary.
To be more specific:
~ NZ had its first case on 28 February. For several weeks numbers stayed low and exclusively in travelers returning from abroad.
~ On 14 March it was decided that all travelers arriving in NZ needed to self isolate for 14 days.
~ "To cushion the impact on New Zealand’s economy, the government announces a $12.1 billion package, worth 4 percent of the country’s GDP. The package includes a $500 million boost for health, $8.7 billion in support for businesses and jobs and $2.8 billion for income support and boosting consumer spending." (RNZ)
~ On 19 March, NZ closed its borders to all but returning citizens and permanent residents and banned gatherings of over 100 people. At this point there were 28 total cases and no evidence of local transmission.
~ on 21 March Jacinda introduced this 4-level alert system and announced that we were on Level 2 and that anyone over 70 or with health concerns should self-islote. Click here to watch Jacinda's address to the nation at that point in the response. (I'd recommend watching to the end to get the full benefit of her amazing support of us all. She seriously continues to blow us all away with her incredible leadership skills and constant strength as a human being.)
~ On 23 March we learned that there is likely community transmission, and we moved to Level 3. (On a personal note, Te Puna Reo (my ECE centre) was already closed that day, because so many of our teachers had health concerns that meant they needed to self-isolate that we didn't have enough staff to be in legal ratio.)
~ Jacinda also announced that day that we'd be moving to Level 4 at midnight Wendesday night and would stay there for a minimum of four weeks after that. Level 4 is full lockdown with only essential services still operating, so we had a couple days to get what we needed and get home. (J and I had already been pretty much self isolating since Saturday, not particularly to protect ourselves but to not be part of the problem. We are fortunate to already have everything we need and more, so we just kept staying home.)
~ We've been in lockdown since then, and according to news releases, people are following the rules pretty well. Of course, there are irresponsible people anywhere, but most people want to do the right thing and accept that this is necessary right now.
~ There are currently 1039 cases and 1 death in NZ (as of 5 April), and we're doing thousands of tests every day. The majority of cases are still people continuing to return from overseas (or their close contacts), and while the number has steadily risen, we've had a fairly consistent 55-90 new cases per day since the lockdown began. Although it is too soon to tell exactly how well the lockdown is working (due to the 14 day incubation period) it is a great sign that we're not seeing the exponential increase in new cases per day that lots of other places have seen.
~ So far, our health system is coping well and we have reason to be optimistic that we're flattening the curve enough that it will continue to do so. Click here for the most up-to-date press release from Jacinda and the Director General of Health.
That was an extremely abridged version of events - please click here for a more in-depth one.
Our lockdown is quite intense, which I think is appropriate. Essential services that are still open include grocery stores, food production, police, pharmacies, and health care. All restaurants are closed, including for delivery, and all stores are closed. A few stores have been allowed to sell essential items (e.g. heaters, essential appliances) online, and builders can still come and fix your house if the problem is a health risk, but everything else is closed. People are encouraged to get outside for exercise but only in their own neighbourhood, maintaining a 2 meter (6.6ft) distance between people. You are only allowed to use your car to get groceries or to get to work if you are an essential services worker. Playgrounds are closed, and you're not allowed to swim in the ocean or bike in bike parks (because if you need rescuing it takes people away from coronavirus work). Landlords cannot increase rent, and in fact various plans are in the works to get support to tenents who are struggling to pay. Businesses have been given funds earmarked for continuing to pay their staff, regardless of the extent to which they are able to work from home. (This doesn't apply to all businesses, and there are still people who are really struggling, but it is pretty widespead.)
I'm feeling increasingly concerned about everyone in the States as I read so many disappointing things about a lack of decisive action to get coronavirus under control there. I hate that there's nothing I can do about it, which I know is how lots of people feel right now. This is, of course, not the first time I've wished that the States could be more like NZ, or that my loved ones would have taken my advice and moved here, but it does feel a lot more pressing now than usual.
As for J and I, we are both very busy working from home. J is on the Biosecurity response to the awful drought that parts of the country are facing, and is constantly in meetings working on how to most appropriately support farmers and animals while in lockdown. I am supporting my teaching team in finding new ways to support children and families from home. The technology learning curve has been intense, especially as we're asking both ourselves and our online documentation programmes to do things we've never wanted to do before, and I have inadvertently taken the lead in developing and sharing these new systems. We are having a daily Zoom teacher meetings, as well as a Zoom mat time for the parents and children. In addition, we are making videos sharing books, songs, activities, challenges, and personal experiences. These will help the children still feel connected to us, as well as hopefully helping the parents manage the long days at home. The videos are all in Māori, but if you're interested in seeing a couple of mine, click here for me reading the Māori version of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and here for me reading He aha tēnei? ("What is this?" - a book about insects) in my little forest in my back yard. The videos without books are probably less interesting if you don't speak the language. I also plan on doing lots of work preparing various things for when we are back together in person and finally catching up on all kinds of research and articles that I always mean to read but don't have time.
In NZ, we're conceptualizing our lockdown units as bubbles. You and your germs need to stay in your own bubble, and if you have contact with someone outside it, both of your bubbles are not only combined with each other's, but with everyone else that person has had contact with. A microbiologist named Siouxsie Wiles has been making little animations that show this problem - click here for a simple but powerful one. (It takes a sec to start moving, so be patient.) I think it's quite a helpful image. It's not too challenging for us to stick to social distancing, but am finding it hard not to be angry and stressed about the people who are not doing their part. I feel very strongly the potential for a few unwise choices to have a huge impact on a lot of people, and I desperately want that not to happen. I can see the public park, public playground and school playground from my back yard (where I've been spending most of my non-work time), and I get so anxious when I see people using closed equipment or going what looks like too close to others. Fortunately I actually don't see it very often. I do think people are doing a pretty good job overall. I read some research out of Australia saying that a minimum of 80% of people have to fully comply with the lockdown in order to really flatten the curve. That's a high level of compliance, and I just really hope we're hitting it.
By the way, I am very thankful for the aforementioned back yard, which allows me to get my neccessary time outside while safely within my bubble, and which the guinea pigs have been very much enjoying as well. The book in this picture is one of several I'm working through as part of the Māori language course I'm doing this year, which is currently being continued to the best of our ability online. It is very challenging so far and I'm learning a lot but can't wait to be back in the same room as the amazingly fluent people in my class.
There is a silver lining around my unhinged mental state: out of my frustrated fumbling for somewhere to direct my nervous energy has come something lovely. I found a home child care organization that has been contracted by the government to provide in-home care to the children of essential services workers. I can't imagine how hard it must be for families in which both parents need to go to work everyday but no longer have a centre/school to take their children to, especially as you're not allowed to get normal babysitters/nannies as that's stretching your bubble too much. But once I got through the enrolment process, which included careful inquiries into my own bubble, then I got matched with a family and approved to combine our bubbles for the rest of quarentine. So I start Monday afternoon, looking after a 9-month-old while both her parents work in essential services. I am an ideal person to do this, as J is the only other person in my bubble and we're both at low-risk for coronavirus complications and are vigilant about our bubble, meaning anything that gets into ours will go no further. The mother, to whom I spoke on Friday, was so thankful, as she was worried that they wouldn't be able to find her anyone, so I'm really glad to be able to help them. The government will pay me - which is unnecessary for me but a wonderful initiative - and as I'll be doing this part time I can still keep working from home and maintain my connection with my Puna Reo children. So it's all worked out very well, and I feel good about this way to stick to lockdown protocols as much as possible while helping this family.
The other good thing that I've seen is the constant conversation on our suburb's community page about how to support each other during this time. I've seen everything from offers to grocery shop for immunocompromised people to offers to pre-pay at local businesses to keep them afloat until they can open again, and everything in between. One lovely thing that's really taken off around NZ is the Bear Hunt (inspired by the book/song, We're Going On a Bear Hunt). People all over the country are putting bears in their house/car windows for children to search for as they're walking around their neighbourhoods with their families. Click here for the website and map dedicated to the search. Ours is on there, too! Also, the awesome NZ Police have gotten in on it - click here for some of what they've shared.
Our bear's name is Demelza and she came all the way from the States, thanks to Mom!
Here are several pictures I've taken while we've been out for walks. Since the day we took a bike ride during a break in the rain and had to dodge the whole neighbourhood, we've only taken walks when it's drizzling or after dark, so we're the only ones out, and so far, we've been very successful. Can you spot the bear in each picture? (Click on them to make it bigger if it helps.)
Update: Just after I published this post, I saw Jacinda's response to questions about the Easter Bunny, who she has declared an essential worker. She has also suggested some strategies to help Easter still be a fun time for children. Click here for the video. I'm just so grateful to have such an amazing leader in these difficult times.
I do think we'll come out of this with a better understanding of how interdependent we are, and I just hope it doesn't come at too high a price.
