How are you all dealing with coronavirus and the restrictions many of us have to live

I know it’s easier to cut covid-19 transmission in New Zealand but they also depend a lot on tourism.
I’m convinced that we should have been more strict on closing our respective borders. In that case, the pandemic’s extension would be lower and we could have had track the few cases.

Now, without forgetting the incredible figures of deceased people, if we have take this measure of closing borders we should have a completely ruin Economy and maybe, we should only focus on helping the ruin in the tourist sector.

Then, there’s the way ( I can tall only for my country), the way we closed transport from other countries leaves a lot space to speculation regarding whether the effectiveness they accomplish the security measures.
An example, my sister’s sister-in-law came here from the North of the UK. She only have to fill and sign a compromise to keep quarantine. No test at all. And not tracking. While we she cane back to the UK, she and her husband had a test made.

Then, it’s the matter of Australia, I know how serious they take immigrants and any other traveller accomplish with the rules in the country before letting them go in. I know they do. I used to see a program about it on TV.

I envy how things are being driven in both countries. And I’m sure there are more examples.

For your knowledge, I need you to know that I understand your explication and there are many factors that play a role in how each country is facing to the pandemic, but I would like to put the stress on some examples of countries that are handling the situation very well. As I am always complaining about how bad we do things.

I think Taiwan has done really well too. Another island and being in Asia they likely are more accustomed to using face masks when sick.

On top of everything else, we now have a humanitarian crisis brewing on our northeastern border with Bolivia, which I am sure will turn into a public health/COVID crisis. Many people who have left Venezuela are trying to enter the country without the visa they are required to obtain. The border with Peru has more security, so now they are crossing through small Aymara indigenous villages on the border with Bolivia, which is sadly causing a major disruption to life for their inhabitants. When COVID started, many migrants from the region, such as Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela returned home. I guess the trend is reversing again. Some of the migrants have been sent to hotels that have been set up to house people that need to quarantine, but I don't know how sustainable that will prove if people keep coming. They will probably run out of space eventually. The hotels are intended for Chileans and legal residents who are returning to the country and need to quarantine or those that need to quarantine due to a positive test or being exposed to someone who has COVID, but don't have the conditions to isolate in their own home. It's such a complicated solution, I don't know what the solution is.

I guess this is for @AzulOscuro, since I couldn't find a good article in English.


Una crisis humanitaria desborda a pequenos pueblos del norte de Chile por la masiva llegada de migrantes venezolanos - Infobae

It’s completely understandable. What were worries turned into worries, fear and frustration.
I hear you.

I understand very well the humanitarian crisis, any problem makes tougher the situation with the threatening of covid.
I know on first hand the problems Venezuelans are living and how they saw forced to go to Chile or Colombia. I wonder what President Maduro has to say.

Here, there’s a similar problem with migrants from Africa, they try to find a place in Europe and we are finding lots of problems to get them shelters.

I share your opinion that in New Zealand and Australia people are more responsible citizens and work for the common well-being.

I saw a documentary, a program called ‘ Spanish people abroad’ and it was about New Zealand. It’s clear that it’s a not so populated as other countries but I saw a great civic sense. Streets were clean. This kind of things you can’t find it in my city, only in the down town and because there are cleaners very frequent.

Of course, each country has its own characteristics and conditions to face to a catastrophic event. But, in Europe and in American we have made things not with the brain but with the ***. Ya sabes: Hacer las cosas con el culo. lol! Con el f@king culo! if you will. lol

@AzulOscuro you are so kind to me. I am not sure I deserve the kindness because I have been quite judgemental with my friend, and he isn't a bad person. I honestly think he was confused last year. I didn't stand in his shoes. I need to have more compassion.

But thank you for you gentleness and kindness, it helped me to think about things differently. Sometimes I don't see others perspectives as well as I should.

I guess if we're talking about island nations I should mention that my home country is an island and we have one of the worst infection rates and deaths per 100,000.

I think density comes into It, NZ and Aus had that in their favour, but Japan is similar density to us and had much lower rates. There are many variables at play but border control has to have been a major driver of spread.

In the first lockdown many of the cases in UK came from the Alps, they know this through virus sequencing. In the summer we had learned nothing and opened it all up again. A lot of lobbying from the travel industry which is understandable but the longer this goes on the longer everyone suffers and there are people gone we can't bring back.

I disagree with you. You do a lot of effort to put yourself on someone else’s shoes. The fact that you still want to improve in this aspect, it’s a proof for me.

I’m not kind. I see what I see. And when I see very clear something, I say it because it’s fair and I admire people who are like you.

Let’s say that you react a little with your friend but it was because you were afraid of what could happen with him and people around him.

I criticised my sister’s father-in-law when he went to hunt and he got infected. I couldn’t put myself on his shoes in this situation but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate him. Only that time, I understood he was being irrational and putting people at risk.

The best is to avoid argument and say what you think in a good manner to see if the other person is prone to listen to what you have to say. If not, let him to realise by himself.
How in the earth we are gonna ask you for you to put more on another person’s shoes if you do it, constantly. It’s obvious in this thread but I also read other posts from you on other threads. So I don’t speak out of the blue.

Yes, I saw in the news how things were turning very serious in the UK.
I wonder how things are going on in the Republic of Ireland.

Not very well I am afraid . I am becoming more of a isolated type than usual to the point of dreading turning on the news.

I’m gonna vent a little because when this all began, my stupid ignorant and naive mind dreamt with the pandemic could be a big opportunity to change many things. You know, undone some ways to run the world and look for a more equal, more fair, more human, more respectful with our environment, etc.

But, when I see the business and the problems that are taking place around vaccines, it seems to me more from the same. Nothing new under the sun.

I know there are people who are making the impossible to help others and being very supportive and they are doing admirable deeds. And I swear it count a lot for me but I was dreaming with big chances. Meaningful changes where the respect for human beings and nature were at the top of all.
A place where there weren’t poor or rich people.

I would like to paste here a beautiful song by Queen about this topic.

People will never agree about everything, I think you strike a good balance between expressing your values and having consideration for others.



AzulOscuro, The world will never be perfect because people (including our leaders) are so imperfect but I do think that this crisis is causing some things to change. With change comes risk but also opportunity for some. Right now, in the USA, our Congress is proposing many changes. Some of it seems really good to me. I agree with both you and Discombobulated that the crisis has highlighted that many, many people in this world do not have the food, shelter and healthcare that they need. I heard a doctor explain that the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from COVID is have a health immune system (even the vaccinations work better when your immune system is healthy) . This is very hard for people who do not have their basic needs met to do.

TunedOut - Your last point is so sad but true. Being able to eat well, exercise, have a stable roof over your head are all factors that can help keep our immune systems stronger. The virus here has definitely hit areas with poor living conditions the worst. I need to remind myself of that when I start to get anxious and depressed about it all. I am more fortunate than many.

Well, my husband decided he will get the Sinovac vaccine that is on offer for now tomorrow. He qualifies because he is a government employee that works with the public under normal circumstances. They are working from home, but will eventually have to go to the office. We will see how that goes. It's free and they are being done at a church up the road.. In theory, he just has to show his work ID

I’m glad that there have been making changes in the States, now, with the new President and the Congress, of course.

I like your positive sight. I’m afraid that I’m not so much so. The world is working in the same way since Prehistory. Only technological advances give us the illusion of a sophisticate appearance.
The same forces rule us. Splitting in groups, differences among them, classes differences, big differences of opportunity to access the resources, lack of few respect for nature and other animals.
The same ways to rule countries, with the same kind of politicians.
I don’t ask them for being perfect, I ask them for capability, honesty and respect for their citizens. I ask for citizens to wake up from the dream we are living in. Education in freedom and capacity for make conscious decisions and run away from the comfortable umbrella of having everything done and planned and brainwashing.

Since we are kids we are said how the world works, which is our religion, where and what you have to do to reach happiness, we have to getting used to having our responsible people lie to keep their charges and we have to see it as normal...I better stop just now.

Yes I feel jaded too @AzulOscuro just this last week I heard of a tower block where there was covid infection on every floor. My friend who is a social care worker had to visit someone there.

I wish I could be more optimistic. Early in the pandemic I saw a window painted which said 'Instead of going back to normal why not go back to better?' It was such a nice thought but I do not see it happening.

Lower socio economic groups are more likely to catch (high density over crowded housing, key worker jobs out of the home) and get sicker from covid (poorer health outcomes). I don't see anything changing in the UK sadly, except unemployment is higher now.

@TunedOut I hope that this new era in your politics does harness a desire to make real permanent change for your people for the better. Inequality is bad for everyone IMO, it drags a whole country down.

Here, the vaccines are being administrated at a very low rate.

Here too, the vaccine are coming slow. My 93 yr old mum is still waiting.

Here the same. A whole block of flats infected. And some people there have unluckily died.
The probability of infections in the lifts are being studied. But, the cause is still unknown.

I like a lot the remark you share with us.
If there’s someone who has the resources to change things and get out of all this better and take advances of this opportunity is human being. We are able to do the best and at the same time the worst. Fears is what paralyses ordinary people. Fears to lose their jobs. We are not free. And there are many miserly people who promote this fear.

We are living kind of period of peace in most of countries in the world, but it’s a sleeping peace, a bought peace. We are not more than sleeping creatures.
Most of people have a T-shirt of this or that political party and talk and behave according to these political ideology. Out of this, nothing else exist, nothing else is an alternative. We are in the cave described by Platon.
I lost my hope.

I can’t believe. I’m sorry. Take care of your mummy.

That is terrible- take good care Nammu and I hope you hear good news soon.

I'm feeling tired and worn out. We have a covid case at work and so a chunk of staff self isolating which is correct but means the few staff left are having to pick up the shifts and work with less people to help - I need another pair of arms.

I really feel essential key workers should be vaccinated once the vulnerable groups are done. Not everyone agrees with that but I don't feel it's fair we are working in these situations with no protection.

I share the opinion with you. Essential workers should receive the vaccine before.

Sorry you have to deal with more work. I understand you are tired.

I agree with you, Discombobulated, I think people in essential jobs where they are dealing with the public every day need to be a vaccination priority. People that can work from home and don't have serious medical conditions can wait.

Let me just say first of all, that I understand that it must be terrible to be a health worker now, I feel for them. However, I was reading an article about COVID burnout happening with medical staff and there were barbs thrown at people that are home working in their pijamas. I never felt I wanted to go into health work, so I chose another field of study and I can work from home. I do understand that they never knew that they'd have to work in a pandemic, but it felt like it was a criticism of us that took other paths in our careers. I guess I feel that those of us that work from home and limit going out are doing what we can to help contain the spread. You guys know how restricted my life has been in the last year. My husband and I have taken great lengths to be responsible If my husband and his co-workers had gone to work every day instead of working from home, I am sure the case numbers would be worse. They'd be better off criticizing the antimaskers, the people that have huge superspreader events and similar.

Yes, we know it how hard it has been for you, guys. All these permits for only an hour and such, without counting the riots previous to the beginning of the pandemic.

These barbs are unfair. We are all trying our best to help with the only exception of covidiots who have clandestine parties and meetings.

Thanks, AzulOscuro. I felt sort of bad about writing that, but it was rubbing me the wrong way. Seriously, I don't think that they would want me helping to intubate a patient, so I am better off focusing on doing what I can do, basically taking all possible precautions to not get sick and pass it on to others.