In its news bulletin this morning, Radio New Zealand reported on a WHO spokesperson commending New Zealand’s response to the pandemic as ‘an example of a country that has worked well with a community to effectively communicate what is being done.’
“In New Zealand there was a lot of clarity about what was expected and why things were going to be done and that’s extremely important, that people understand what’s going to happen and why it’s going to happen.”
Now, New Zealand is unique: relatively isolated from the rest of the world and with a small population, it hasn’t had nearly the same challenges as the USA, the UK and other countries in Europe.
Nevertheless, I have been totally impressed with the way the country has managed its response to the pandemic: a huge contrast to the shambles of our own government’s response.
True to her leadership style, Jacinda Ardern responded promptly and decisively to the pandemic, with both empathy and humility. She appeared to listen to both the scientists and ordinary people and the approach they took clearly prioritised the life and well-being of New Zealand’s citizens above the economy or any political considerations.
Right from the start, New Zealand introduced a system of four alert levels – each with clear criteria for the underlying risk assessments and the management strategies to be implemented at each level. The messaging was clear, consistent and unambiguous, and didn’t keep changing as the pandemic unfolded. As a result, people knew where they stood, what was expected of them and why, and they responded accordingly.
Since arriving in New Zealand and experiencing first hand their approach to managed isolation/quarantine, we have been even more aware of how effective and efficient the measures are. As new arrivals we have been treated with respect and kept informed. The messages we have received about social distancing and protective measures have been clear and simple; their test and trace system has worked effectively, with clear communications once it was discovered that someone on our flight had tested positive; the armed forces, drafted in to supervise and manage the isolation facilities have done their job well and with grace.
And, most of all, we know that we can look forward, in just a few days’ time, to living a life unconstrained by the threat of second waves, repeated lockdowns, or muddled and contradictory advice.