ABC News: Coronavirus variants mean we can't rely on vaccination. We need global suppression.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-06/coronavirus-variants-mean-vaccination-cant-control-pandemic/100049682 - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-06/coronavirus-variants-mean-vaccination-cant-control-pandemic/100049682

Sky News Australia: World to continue suffering 'wave after wave' of COVID until a 'circuit breaker'.

https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6246663190001 - https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6246663190001

But the rest of the world has proven (and is still proving) that the virus is too widespread for them to be able to stop it. Poor Britain has been in lockdown for over a year now and it's still raging over there. People are fatigued and all civil liberties have been eroded. A circuit breaker is just not going to work. As we're seeing in various countries in Europe, there is civil disobedience in the face of imposed lockdowns and frankly, if I lived there, I'd be ignoring them too. 

Personally I think there is a political agenda in play with many governments using the pandemic as an excuse to exercise more state control over their populations. We are ultimately going to have to allow it to run it's course in countries where it's now endemic. Let the vulnerable shield and get vaccine after vaccine and let every one else get on with their lives. That said, I think NZ and Australia and the Pacific Islands should keep their border restrictions in place and continue along the very successful path that we've forged for ourselves. There is no covid in the community here. 

I spent yesterday in the Alpine resort of Hanmer, lounging in the hot springs, then we ate out at a lovely restaurant and then attended a public education meeting about earthquakes. The resort was packed. There were hundreds of people in the pools and eating out. It was great. I was chatting to all sorts of people. And the best bit was they were all Kiwis!!!! There was no social distancing and we were all wandering around in our togs.  Life is normal here and that's a luxury and I for one don't want to give it up. So I'm in favour of keeping the virus out of NZ and letting everyone else do their own thing.

"togs"......love it ......lol

Of course, it's swimmers in Australia. I don't think you guys have togs.  

My Dad used to call them "togs"

"Bathers"..... here

"Swimmers" might be east coast....

"Buggie" smugglers....

For Speedos... lmao..

Take care all 😷😉

I, for one, would not object to the lockdowns if we kept one up until the virus was gone.  Locking down, opening up again, locking down, opening up again achieves very little.  It is also very damaging to our economy.

To return to the parachute analogy, we keep taking it off too early.  Now we are a mass of contusions and fractures and we have had to pay for 4 parachutes - so far and e are currently taking no.4 off.

New Zealand showed us what to do.  But still we make the same mistakes over and over again.

Now the people are so covid-weary they break the rules and resist all control.  It may already be too late to do it successfully.  Hopefully not, but the only certainty is that each half-hearted lockdown tests the British people more - so it becomes harder to lock down each time and each time the chances of success are smaller. 

PURE UNADULTERATED IDIOCY!!!  We get the worst of both worlds.