Covid-19 and Australasia

Maytrees mi travelled to New Zealand for short term employment reasons almost 3 years ago. I recall when driving him to Heathrow for his flight, we were  all listening on the car radio to  the cricket, a very closely fought test match,  I believe, between England and New Zealand.

I am not usually a cricket fan and indeed chose rowing over cricket when a school boy at Beaumont College - Rowing - yet this game was so close and distracting that I drove to terminal 3 rather than terminal 5 and had to spend  some while re-orientating to the correct terminal for his flight.

Since then the world has been struck by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many countries have and indeed are dealing with the viral outbreaks in different ways. 

In the UK as is usual, people moan about Boris Johnson's government's handling of the illness. Given that many moan about Boris Johnson whenever possible, for example some blaming him for President Biden's disastrous  unilateral decision  to withdraw from Afghanistan by 31st August without even consulting the UK government  and other  allies first, such moans may be discounted. 

However, the UK along now with most European countries, have spent much time and money on vaccinating their populations as far as possible against Covid-19. By contrast, New Zealand's and Australia's attempts to save their people from the virus, have largely been based on bans on travel in and out of their countries and making it hugely expensive even for their own nationals  enter or to come back to their  own countries. 

Initially such attempts appeared successful and even now, outbreaks of the virus seem small when compared with those  in the UK and elsewhere. Nonetheless one effect of Australasian attempts is that maytrees mi has in effect had to remain in NZ for years rather than the months he planned so  is now  increasingly keen to return to England. Auckland where he resides is suffering another lockdown and it appears as if the virus is spreading albeit slowly. Maytrees mi in NZ, has yet to receive his first anti Covid-19 vaccination whereas maytrees min in England has received both of hers.

In England, lockdowns are beginning to unwind and I doubt whether they will be reimposed here although the same may not be said  of Scotland where like NZ, there is a left wing leader. 

Perhaps the further left a county's political system, the more enthusiastic the country may be about lock downs - China being the prime example.