New Zealanders are Dying from Covid at Record Rates By Bruce Bennett
Not that I would wish ill upon anyone, but New Zealand had lockdowns nasty enough to rival communist China, and had high Covid vaccination rates. But, as detailed in a mainstream media report, New Zealand now has a Covid-19 death rate at record levels. I believe, that it is the vax at work, doing what it does best.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-covid-19-death-rate-record-levels-2022-07-22/
“New Zealanders are dying from COVID-19 at record rates as the country battles a new wave of the Omicron strain that is particularly affecting the older population.
Deaths from the virus reached 151 in the seven days to July 16, compared with 115 in the worst week of the previous wave, in March, according to Health Ministry data. In the latest 24 hours, 26 people died from COVID, all aged over 60, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The Omicron BA.5 sub-variant is driving the current wave in New Zealand, which has 5.1 million people. There have been 64,780 active cases in the past seven days, although authorities say many infections are unreported.
Once regarded as a model for preventing COVID infection, New Zealand's swift response to the pandemic and its geographic isolation kept it largely free from the virus until the end of last year.
The government dropped its zero-COVID policy this year once the population was largely vaccinated. Since then the virus has been allowed to spread.
Emergency departments, general practices and medical centres are under pressure. However, Health Ministry data shows hospitalisation levels remain below those seen during the March peak.
The government is resisting pressure from some doctors to reinstate curbs on public gatherings or mandate the wearing of masks at schools.
However, Education Ministry chief Iona Holsted said on Thursday the ministry had advised schools to enforce the wearing of masks as much as practicable when children returned from holidays next week.
"We understand that implementing mask policies can be a challenge but ask that you take action to strengthen your mask wearing policy as soon as possible," she said.”
“New Zealand, often held up as the best example outside China of an authoritarian government controlling the spread of Chinese coronavirus with harsh lockdowns, is currently experiencing its worst coronavirus death rates of the entire pandemic.
Reuters reported on Friday that New Zealand had 151 fatalities during the week ending July 16, worse than its worst weekly total during the initial coronavirus outbreak. Twenty-six people died over the last 24 hours, all of them reportedly over 60 years old. The NZ Herald reported more than half of the coronavirus deaths were people over 80 years of age.
The government documented 64,780 active cases over the past seven days, but health officials believe the true total is considerably higher due to unreported infections. On the bright side, hospitalization levels are lower than during the previous outbreak, possibly thanks to high vaccination rates and the relatively less lethal nature of the omicron variant.
Australia’s ABC News on Thursday quoted New Zealand health officials who said, “there is widespread community infection in every region,” and even though the highly contagious omicron variant is generally less prone to killing its victims, New Zealand’s death rate is now “among the highest in the world.”
As with many other jurisdictions, New Zealand’s response included changing how coronavirus deaths will henceforth be counted — the latest iteration of the “death from Covid” versus “death with Covid” debate that has fueled scientific and political arguments since the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic began. New Zealand health officials argued that counting deaths more carefully would move their country down in the global fatality rate rankings.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-22/nz-jacinda-ardern-covid-zero-destroyed-by-omicron/101246908
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