Originally published by Brownstone Institute.
An infuriatingly consistent aspect of the mainstream media’s COVID coverage was their determination to prematurely credit a country with a wildly successful set of policy interventions.
While there has been no track record of universally accurate predictions or expectations, the desire to claim victory as far back as spring 2020 has led to subsequent embarrassments as trends change.
Naturally, New Zealand is no stranger to such untimely praise, with the BBC in July 2020 doing an in-depth look at how New Zealand became “COVID free.”
Of course, it was because New Zealand “…locked down early and aimed for elimination” and achieved “effective communication and public compliance.”
This is really the whole problem in a nutshell, isn’t it?
Assuming that elimination was possible through effective communication, compliance and early lockdowns ignores the inevitably that COVID will eventually spread throughout the population, whenever you “open up.”
Elimination of COVID throughout the world is and always was impossible, and therefore Fauci’s assertion that COVID could be “eliminated in certain countries” was inane and virtually impossible.
So how successful has New Zealand been in eliminating COVID in the long term through effective communication, public compliance and early lockdowns?
Well. The numbers speak for themselves.
When the BBC wrote the article explaining New Zealand’s remarkable success in eliminating the virus, they were averaging 1.5 cases each day. It’s now 2,918 cases each day.
That’s an increase of nearly 195,000%.
Elimination is a pipe dream.
No matter what policy interventions they’ve added, no matter how many early lockdowns they’ve tried, COVID has not been eliminated.
Remember how New Zealand’s amazing tracking and tracing system allowed them to identify transmission that could have only occurred via aerosols? And recall how all of the pre-pandemic guidance on masking suggested that masks could not stop aerosols? Did that stop New Zealand from using mask mandates to try and continue their elimination goals?
Of course not!
The following are the currently enforced rules on face masks in New Zealand:
- As a general rule, you should wear a face mask whenever you are indoors. The exceptions are at your home or your place of work if it is not public facing. Your employer may encourage you to wear a face mask even if your job is not public facing.
- When it is hard to physically distance from people you do not know, we encourage you to wear a face mask.
- Everyone must wear a mask that is attached to the face by loops around the ears or head. This means people can no longer use scarves, bandannas or t-shirts as face coverings.
We know New Zealanders are complying because the BBC assured us that their success was due to population compliance, but the survey data backs that up as well:
Mask wearing has been consistently high since the mandate came into effect in August, yet cases have exploded anyway.
None of it has mattered.
And this isn’t an insignificant increase. New Zealand’s now reporting more new cases adjusted for population than the United States, and identical numbers to the United Kingdom:
Working perfectly!
Elimination Through Vaccination
In the previously referenced interview, Fauci said that the most successful way to “eliminate” COVID was to reach extraordinary levels of vaccination uptake in the population.
While the Our World in Data download hasn’t been updated in the past week, over 88% of the population had received at least one vaccination dose in New Zealand by February 15th.
The numbers are even more impressive when considering only those over 12 years of age. 95% of everyone over in that demographic has been at least partially vaccinated or booked their appointment. 94% are fully vaccinated:
Nearly 2.3 million people over 12 have been given boosters, roughly 53% of that entire population.
Clearly those incredible rates of uptake must have been enough to maintain the “blanket of herd immunity” that Fauci claimed would be achievable with 75-85% of the population vaccinated.
Not exactly!
Whenever you reference the dramatic failure of Australia or New Zealand to maintain “zero COVID” lockdowns and “elimination” strategies, adherents to the cult of inaccurate expertise will respond by claiming their goal was only to eliminate cases until widespread vaccination.
By allowing for vaccines to blunt the impact of cases, these countries would prevent surges in hospitalizations. We already saw that this was wildly off in Australia:
But what about New Zealand? Maybe they’ve been able to successfully stave off any surge in severe cases due to their exceptional vaccination rate:
Well. Not exactly.
Hospitalizations have risen dramatically since January and continue to rise significantly each day.
News reports from New Zealand sound like those from any generic location in the US where local doctors report concerns of hospitals being overwhelmed:
Authorities anticipate Omicron will become the predominant Covid-19 variant in New Zealand within just two to four weeks of it being introduced into the community – and hospitals are bracing to be “swamped”.
Dr John Bonning, a frontline emergency department doctor and immediate past president of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, said EDs were already under “enormous duress”.
So their elimination strategy did not prevent a dramatic increase in cases, nor a concerning, overwhelming surge of hospitalizations.
And deaths, while thankfully still low, have increased in recent months as well:
New Zealand’s supposed “elimination” through their zero COVID policy has completely collapsed.
Mask mandates, as their own research indicated, have not prevented surges. Elimination until vaccination has not prevented surges. Zero COVID has been an unmitigated failure, as any rational person would have known and suggested as far back as summer 2020.
They’ve maintained an unearned sense of superiority, exemplified in this quote from the BBC’s story:
He says it is “a bit of a puzzle for us at a distance to understand why” with the UK’s extensive scientific expertise and health care, “you haven’t looked at the evidence and worked out a pattern like New Zealand’s”.
The UK government has previously defended its coronavirus strategy, saying its approach was “being guided by the science.”
That undeserved attitude can no longer be maintained.
The policies that never had the slightest possibility of long term success, the policies that Fauci claimed could be successful in “certain countries,” have turned into yet another example of the delusions of hubris.
While many areas are lifting mandates, they’re doing so without acknowledging the underlying flaws in their strategy. Iceland’s health ministry summed up the inescapable reality of COVID while announcing an end to all restrictions:
“Widespread societal resistance to COVID-19 is the main route out of the epidemic,” the ministry said in a statement, citing infectious disease authorities.
“To achieve this, as many people as possible need to be infected with the virus as the vaccines are not enough, even though they provide good protection against serious illness,” it added.
Until they understand and accept those sentiments, there will always be excuses for politicians and public health officials to bring back their prized, ineffectual interventions.
New Zealand is the latest in a long list of countries to be hailed as showing the world the “right” way to prevent surges; to keep COVID under control.
But as with masks, vaccine passports and “early” lockdowns, zero COVID never had a chance of working — despite the endless media and expert praise.
As always, Eric Feigl-Ding had absolutely no idea what he was talking about:
Every time.
Originally published by Brownstone Institute.
Author Bio
Martial Law in NZ now… And no one knows about this yet.
https://thebfd.co.nz/2022/03/04/face-of-the-day-513/
Hi Matt,
Things are escalating at a rapid rate. I read the Victorian Bill that Dan Andrews put into place. Th Bill that she is putting into place is just as bad as Victoria and deceitful. Stopping people from understanding what really is going on is what they want . Everyone needs to read it as when I tell people even Christians, they don’t believe it. The military have been placed in Sydney and Perth from the end of Feb until Dec this year. The people need to push back. The Big white teeth is so entrenched in Klaus Schwab doctrine that she cannot see straight and see that she is playing into the enemies plan. Stay safe Matt.
This has been insidiously slipped through and the public have no idea. Totally criminal. Sadly people aren’t going to figure it out until it gets sprung on them.
Yes Matt, I agree that it will get sprung on them. One thing I know for sure, is that those who are listening and alert will know what to do and know how to prepare for what is coming and be able to help others. Again, many are living in so much fear that they cannot hear or see the truth of what is happening and going to happen. Blessings Matt
Hey Matt,
What’s with the tinfoil hats in NZ?
Matt & Leonie; Just looking @ Dave Hodges Common sense show.com & saw a headline that reads to the article;
N.Z. High Court Ends Prime Minister Jacinda Adern ‘s “Vaccine mandate.
Thurs March 03 2022.
https://thecommonsenseshow.com/activism-agenda-21-health/new-zealand-high-court-ends-prime-minister-jacinda-arderns-vaccine-mandate
The high Court found it was a violation of the bill of rights for the police and military. I have heard that the case has been refilled now going after the mandates for all NZ. The media here is hardly covering the case. Ardern is pretending its just a minor upset and Parliament is raming the NZ Covid19 public health response bill through in the middle of the night… All parties, not just Labour. It is full speed ahead here for the Schwab agenda. Most of the kiwis I talk too have never heard of that bill. Not in the media either.
https://thebfd.co.nz/2022/03/04/face-of-the-day-513/
Thanks for the update Matt NZ.
The NZ government is deeply corrupted. I think the death of Shane Warne at 52 yo is starting to wake people up in Australia- definitely double jabbed and maybe a booster as well,
God bless
Philip
I wish more here would pull their heads out of their a**. People are starting to get it but 2 years too late.
Agree Phil, so interesting the last few days .All the news coverage re Shane Warne. I thought the vax jab was the most likely contributor-cause also; even though the Autopsy they performed on him- said he died of natural causes. “Hmm Big Question mark ?. !!
They have tried to explain that away also.. by saying nothing suspicious or foul play involved ,just natural causes. ( Autopsy done in Thailand- his body being transported back to Aust. today Tues 8th March.
Also they were blaming his hectic lifestyle, fad juice diet.for 10-14 days. One Cardiologist mentioned his smoking habits cause or contributor also. But never any admission re vax toxin contributing to his death.
Hi Anne,
I think that in this case Anne that the snake bite is what ended his life. Many people have been doing fad juice drink diets for years and I haven’t heard of anyone having a heart attack and dying. Interesting that they have said all these other things as factors to heart attack.
Hi Anne,
A politician died of heart attack today at 52 in Australia. Mmmmm. Triple snake bite!!!!!
Hi Leonie, sitting reading your comment now. When I first sat down I saw the 9 news headline on the computer you are mentioning. Her name was Labour Senator Kimberly Kitching.
Reading the news article it mentioned she pulled over in her car & others including her husband drove to Strathmore only to find she had the heart attack and it was obviously too late.
Agree re the triple snake bite !. it seems to be catching up now as many people were vaxed back from July/ Oct- Nov. 2021. Oh Boy !! [Vic- Dans compulsory mandates for over a million workers including Politicians back then also..-Oct 2021.] everything we have read & studied on Z3 news re adverse effects and deaths is very real.!!
If only people really knew the TRUTH. !!
Pictures also of the private jet carrying Shane Warnes body from Thailand arrived at the airport 8.30 pm last night ( saw on news.)
The family have agreed to a State Funeral for him. ( Offered by Chairman Dan )
Yes, very sad for Shane Warne’s family. If only people knew the whole truth and were given correct information but that is what the nwo wants. Also very sad too for Kimberly Kitchings family.
That is amazing news. God’s hand is all over it. Praise the LORD.
Reading now Matt NZ. all under cover. But for those that do understand it is certainly serious.
Also reading Leonies comment re Vic. Bill + re military in Sydney & Perth.- hmm. many things building up.( Think individual State Premiers in the Game @ present- key players.)
I read an article on before its news many weeks ago and ? the same thing for Brisbane Aust. Breaking new Info! UN. Military Moving into Brisbane ? Evidence – was a video as well.
Puppet masters up there – globalist leanings, one female premier in particular. Her biological father has connections with Gates . and vax development.
Also- looking @ the present Floods in Qld -Northern parts as well + NSW. not over yet. – devastation – Houses ruined – water & mud etc. Businesses – evacuations over the last week or so. Insurance damages will be huge.$$ ..many displaced from their homes. some may not recover. Premier A. P. saying mother nature dealt a heavy blow that we-(gov’t have no control over. ?hmm+ mentioning the huge effects of Climate Change to blame. I say engineered so called climate change. causing Chaos on the earth..
Worst Floods in a century happening concurrently with crisis in Ukraine + Europe. many chess pieces on the board
This am news headline Mosque attack in Pakistan. .
Hi Anne,
We are certainly know the truth behind all this because God will reveal to those people who are seeking Him and listening to Him so the people are warned. The Lord, Anne and Matt is always, always one step maybe a hundred steps ahead of the enemy. We are winners in the end. Looking forward to going up to heaven. Bless you Anne.
Everything is being brought to bare to destroy the west. Treasonous leaders from within and attack from without. My guess with Ukraine is that covid narrative was failing so the elite needed something new. End goal I guess is that The USA, EU and Russia go to limited war. Weakening their countries and China (the globalist model) is last man standing.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/covid-19-wellington-protest-police-fire-rubber-bullets-at-mob-protesters-smash-university-campus-pm-blasts-occupiers-desecrating-parliament/
Police crackdown on the protest… No dissent allowed in Jacinda’s NZ…
https://rumble.com/embed/vtmb52/?pub=tbdnr
Dear Matt NZ,
Utterly disgusting. So NZ and Australian soldiers died fighting for freedoms in major world wars so NZ police can do this to the population?
I really question that the consecutive mass shootings that occurred at mosques in a terrorist attack in Christchurch during Friday Prayer on 15 March 2019 onwards was in fact a set up by the NZ Government to disarm the population. The attack, was supposedly carried out by a single gunman who entered both mosques.
As you know we also had a mass shooting in Port Arthur , Tasmania by a single shooter that really didn’t have much intelligence. There remains questions that Bryant was solely responsible for this tragedy. The result was again the mass confiscation of weapons by the Australian Government.
Given the mass tyranny we now suffer in both our countries these tragic shootings appear very convenient events to disarm the population and enable in restrained violence by Police forces. I hope I’m wrong but we have very evil people now in control of both our Nations,
God bless you all . We pray for an intervention by our God,
Phil
Oh we need some serious prayers here for NZ. No dissent allowed. I don’t buy the Christchurch official narrative either. On a good note, I don’t think a lot of people do either. Police estimated 250000 semi autos in civilian hands on NZ… Only 60000 turned in… Hmmm
Horrific Matt NZ. Serious Diabolical Times..People need the Lord. Not the Crazys in Govt etc.
The bought and paid for NZ media is only reporting the government line. They got 55 million from Jacinda, and amazingly they only report her side of the story.
Police heavy handed crackdown on Parliament protestors happening now in NZ. Canada all over again.
That was me on the other post as well. Forgot to put NZ on the end
https://m.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2FChantelleBakerNZ%2Fvideos%2F383318663135301%2F%3Fextid%3DCL-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C%26ref%3Dsharing&refsrc=deprecated&ref=sharing&_rdr
The ENTIRE NZ Government are Klaus Schwab disciples. The ill-informed and deliberately misinformed NZ Public are being herded like lambs to slaughter… Foolish, trusting and asleep at the wheel
Interesting Matt NZ. with regard to Klaus Schwab bit +what is happening in Ukraine. a radio station program in US called -Tribulation Now had a heading re Ukraine-president was elected in 2019 – he came from an Actor /Comedian background -(Jewish also with grandparents who went thru the Holocaust. then won the 2019 election in Ukraine. to present Now.
Headline mentioned he was also a disciple of Klaus Schwab World Economic Forum-in bed ? with globalists etc..
So I did a search and found Volodymyr Zelensky President of Ukraine- Video of him speaking @ World Economic Forum with Klaus Schwab on January 22nd 2020 ..(Timing & date etc. )
it was a Live streamed session.
Invasion of Ukraine build up of Russian troops over many months- getting worse since 5th Feb 2022. and then worst of crisis from Thurs 24 th Feb. all that has been in news etc. last 7 days.
Yes Volodymyr Zelensky President of Ukraine appears to be a bit of a dope, But sadly the Innocent people suffer sadly. Over 1 million refugees expected. As if the world doesn’t have enough violence and trouble. Very disturbing. See article from BBC
“A Ukrainian woman living on the Isle of Man has said she feels overwhelmed by a “feeling of helplessness” as she watches the Russian invasion from afar.
Karolina Davison moved to the island 17 years ago and is originally from Chernivtsi, a city in western Ukraine.
She said: “It’s tragic, it’s horrific, you can’t even describe it.”
Many community groups have been showing support for people in Ukraine as attacks are intensifying on key cities.
More than one million people have already fled the country and hundreds of civilians are believed to have been killed.
Ms Davison, who runs an ice-cream company with her husband in Peel, has regularly been speaking to family in Ukraine to get updates on their situation.
I wonder what it will take for Biden to act. Bombing the road the Russian convoy was on could have been a start, to slow progress of the Russians.
regards
Phil
Hi Phil – Yes Truly Shocking Situation. I have been following closely the situation over there, updates etc. There have been so many Reports (Graphic Photos, Livestream on internet as well with all the Crisis over there in Ukraine. Huge Escalation of events since Thurs 24 th Feb.
You are so correct- it is the innocent everyday people who suffer as they are in the firing line for whatever actions/decisions their leaders and puppet masters of the world cause.
Early in the evening I was looking up a few things further on Zelensky and found a couple of you tube videos re him from his background & the comedian/actor aspect But also found a video re the Russian soldiers who have been injured & captured and are regretting ever having gone into Ukraine, some believe they were lied to by their Generals & Putin, some are so young and even broke down crying in the video.
It is truly heart breaking seeing the people and children who are so affected & suffering over there. from the makeshift bomb shelters in the underground railways etc.to the refugees fleeing.
Just now 3.19 am my time ..(slept earlier then woke up & reading your comment)
looked @ the BBC link you left. Breaking Update: Zelensky tells NATO- Send us Planes.
He has given a news conference- where he appealed to the West to send him war planes. if you do not have the power to close the skies[ enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine], then give me planes, he said. If we are no more then God Forbid Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Will be next. These countries are part of the NATO defence, alliance which means if Russia invaded one it would be at war with all members.
3.27am he addressed -Zelensky asks Putin for talks. We are not attacking Russia and we do not plan to attack it. What do you want from us ?,Leave our land he said.
3.50 am Reports @ least 22 dead after airstrikes in Chernihiv.
just thinking – it is absolute Chaos. – orchestration of the same ..ready for Order out of the Chaos & for the Anti -Christ to rise & say he has Answers to All the Worlds problems.?
Much to ponder & pray about for sure..so much on many levels & our own backyard problems here in Aust. Gov’t decisions etc alignments- I am certain our Gov’t has sent military arms to Ukraine./sanctions on Russia etc.
And in North Qld &. NSW. we have the Floods. another Disaster. & heartache.