I’ve been asked to give a presentation on NZ’s response to the coronavirus for Sakata City. The presentation will be in Japanese, so I thought I’d use this blog as a way of collecting my thoughts, before organizing them into a presentation. As such, I have collected a lot of notes, but I need to analyze them to find the main points for the presentation.

I’m thinking a general introduction of NZ’s demographics and then facts of the spread of the disease. Then a section on NZ’s response and the results of that response. I’m also thinking a section with the main cultural differences that may have made a difference too. I’ve listed my ideas below, next is to organize them.

◦ The kiwi shaped graph

◦ Grant Robertson’s quote about it being a health crisis not an economic one. The best economic response was always going to be a health one

◦ My story of seeing Jacinda

◦ Our first case

◦ When we locked the borders

◦ Our first death

◦ The main clusters

◦ Contact tracing

◦ Kasafuku on Jacinda’s desk

◦ Lockdown, four levels

◦ Social distancing, supermarkets and essential items

◦ NZers don’t shop everyday like they do in Japan

◦ Support from the government:

◦ Modems, books, computers, TV channels in English and Maori

◦ Benefits for those affected

◦ Interest free loans

◦ Shift from tourism to other ‘green’ projects

◦ Two week quarantine

◦ Deal with Australia

◦ Jacinda couldn’t accept having more deaths than necessary quote

◦ Dr. Bloomfield everyday on TV / internet, keeping us informed

◦ Dr. Siouxsie Wiles

◦ NZ’s demographics <start here, reached 5m in March, similar land area to Japan

◦ ‘Bubbles’ can link to four levels <‘bubbles’ is an important concept that I’m having trouble describing to Japanese people

◦ Groups up to 10, then 100

◦ Rugby back on the menu in June

◦ Masks, not deemed 100% necessary, ie optional (big contrast to Abe no mask)

◦ What the recovery will look like

◦ Still going ahead with election on September 19

◦ Parliament took a break, then social distancing

◦ Paused construction in level 4, but not level 3

◦ In level two now but still many rules in place

◦ Police stopped people from traveling within the country on a public holiday

◦ Police stopped many people breaking the rules, like David Clark? Was it?

◦ NZ was better prepared from the start when compared to Japan

◦ No Hanko (personal seals that Japanese people had to go into the office to use. Literally putting your life at risk to stamp some documents).

◦ People telecommuting anyway, ie. Once a week

◦ Takeaway already existed

◦ Uber eats and other services already up and running

◦ Fast broadband was brought in recently

◦ Correspondence school since forever

◦ Generally tech-savvy population, not too difficult to work from home in many cases

◦ Able to go outside, just within reasonable distance

◦ No flour or toilet paper

◦ Essential worker’s definition

◦ Testing numbers

◦ Support for the government in terms of both the health response and for the election

◦ Cartoons on the spinoff

◦ My masters was all online, I did it from Japan >online learning

◦ We will hopefully see many international students coming in to NZ

◦ Avatar also being made

◦ Australia in September

◦ Those affected stayed home

◦ 結局they didn’t raise the minimum wage right?