From New Zealand's first Covid-19 case on February 28 2020 to entering another alert level 3 lockdown on February 28 2021 - here's a timeline of the milestones and setbacks we've all endured. Video / NZ Herald
Opinion by Steve Braunias
Steve Braunias writes for the Listener and Newsroom.
Steve Braunias finds 10 reasons to be cheerful about the latest lockdown.
1. There are worse things than lockdown
There we all were, stuck inside all week, 1.7 million Auckland troglodytes blinking in the darkness of our caves, our freedoms snatched away by the overseers of level 3 –but at least it was only a week and anyway the weather was lousy and there's no better place to be when it rains than to be stuck inside.
2. There are worse places in the world to be in lockdown than New Zealand
Eg, London. God almighty. How long has it been under its latest lockdown? How many weeks, how many days, how many nights? It's a total mess there and no wonder the Metropolitan Police were kept busy busting people who broke the rules all throughout February, such as the illegal rave at a derelict railway arch where partygoers stacked wooden crates to build an improvised bar area, 30 people caught playing loud music on a boat on the River Lea travelling between Tottenham Lock and Hackney, and 22 people caught having a party at a barber shop in Croydon. A barber shop! That's desperate.
3. There are worse places in New Zealand to be in lockdown than Auckland
Eg, Hamilton. Auckland is such a knock-out city and something stunning to look at is never that far away. I went for a stroll the other night, and gazed upon creeks and bays caressing the edges of the isthmus; the evening smelled of honeysuckle. Then I came home, had a feed, and watched The Bachelor. Life doesn't get any better than that does it, and no that isn't a question I want answered.
Businesses in Auckland closed again this week as alert level 4 was activated. Photo / Michael Craig
4. There are worse things than bubbles
Lockdown can be a blast when you're with the one or ones you love. I'll always remember these close, cheerful level 3 days cooped up with my daughter. Loads of families all over Auckland will feel the same way although I liked this tweet from Titirangi author Amy McDaid the other day: "Day 1 of lockdown: my child is a wonderful creative being flourishing under my tutelage. Could I homeschool? Day 2 of lockdown: investigates boarding school."
5. There are worse things than letting yourself go a bit
Many of us succumbed to snackaholism in these lockdown times but there's nothing wrong with raiding the fridge and the pantry at all times of day and night, and then rolling like a barrel down the hallway into bed. Nothing wrong with it at all.
6. There are worse things than wearing pyjamas all day
Lockdown is like summer: everyone slops around wearing whatever. Some chap on Twitter mentioned the other day that he'd walked to the beach in his slippers. Good on him. Fashion is a prison; lockdown is sweet release.
7. There are worse things than lockdown giving us time to escape the demands of office life
And because it was only a week, no one took to social media and banged on about how we should all learn a new skill. Oh forget learning a new skill. We're sick of lockdown, we just want it over and done with. It's enough to sit in the dark and not have to worry about getting stuck in traffic.
Quite a few of us are now feeling Jacinda Ardern fatigue. Photo / Mark Mitchell
8. There are worse things than trusting central government to get it right
We've all got lockdown fatigue, and quite a few of us are now feeling Jacinda Ardern fatigue, and there's even a creeping sense of Dr Ashley Bloomfield fatigue. But it's a fact that New Zealand's response to Covid has been measured the best in the world and our public servants ought to take a lot of credit for that, from actioning the wage subsidy with incredible speed, to administering tests at Covid testing stations with incredible patience. Also that dog at the 1pm Covid briefing looked really cute.
9. There are worse things than trusting in the team of 1.7 million to get it right
We're all in this together. Cases L, M, N and O, at the centre of the South Auckland cluster, are in this as well and the last thing they need is to be called out by the Prime Minister or anyone else. No one wanted this to happen and we'll get through this together. The social dynamic in New Zealand is strong, cohesive, supportive; the fine print of our DNA is emblazoned with the instruction, "Be kind".
10. There are worse things than lockdown
Actually it doesn't get much worse. You can't go anywhere, you can't do anything; it's been a total drag. How many more lockdowns will there be? Are we in for the full horror of level 4? It was reported in the Herald the other day that Auckland loses an estimated 200 jobs and $30-plus million a day under level 3 restrictions. That was the day the front page was headlined, "There is light at the end of tunnel but the tunnel is very long". God almighty. But I liked the words of Auckland mayor Phil Goff when lockdown was announced last Saturday night: "Aucklanders are old hands at this now. We know what to do to beat the virus and we will get on and do it." He was right. We got on and did it. We're probably going to have to do it again. Lockdown is something we endure, and survive, and wait for it to end. It's about to end. We'll be free to where we want and do what we want.
