LOVING LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN
PHOTOGRAPHER PADRAIG GRANT IS SEEING COVID THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS IN NEW ZEALAND WHERE PEOPLE ENJOY A NORMAL LIFE EVERY DAY
APART from a few days last week, Wexford man Padraig Grant has been living life beyond lockdown in New Zealand.
Padraig left New Zealand last March just prior to the first Irish lockdown.
‘ That was nine months when I hadn’t seen my son so I was going no matter what in January. Flying through airports is boring as hell but I flew through Dubai with Emirates. Everybody entering the airport has to take an antigen test unless it’s for a connecting flight. There was absolutely nobody flying. It was a brand new Boeing 777 and I would say there were 30 people on it. The planes into Auckland were absolutely empty and the airport was completely empty; except for military personnel.’
The talented photographer arrived in Auckland on January 5 to 14 days’ quarantine in a government run hotel.
‘It’s surreal really because everything is so normal. I got here and spent two weeks in a hotel in central Auckland in a quarantine facility which is owned by the New Zealand military. It was boring beyond belief. Thankfully Netflix is very good and I love crosswords and making my bed in the morning.’
Maintaining a routine was vitally important for Padraig in getting through those long days.
‘It’s a bit like a prison regime. You’re waiting for a knock on the door for someone to leave your breakfast in a brown bag with your breakfast in it. You never see anybody because by the time you get to the door they’re gone; now matter how quickly you run. You’d miss having the convivial chats which are a part of life.’
Mercifully Padraig would speak several times a day with his son Olly and family in Wexford, including his partner Emily Redmond and daughter Lottie.
‘ The wi-fi was very good. It was a luxurious prison and absolutely necessary and understandable because there were no cases in the country. I just followed the doctors’ advice and listen to the scientists. I try to shut out the hysteria and nonsense. I have been in epidemics and I’ve seen what happens when things get out of control in a population. I would definitely err on the side of caution but caution is not a huge burden on anybody. You just have to keep your distance from people, keep washing your hands and wearing a mask. It’s not the hardest thing you have to do.’
On his third day he had a nasal swab and once more on his 11th day at the hotel.
‘In between them was like an absolute eternity. As soon as the second one was done it was fantastic. There was absolutely no way I wanted to leave my room until the 14th day as the only risky place in the entire country was the quarantine hotels because that is where potentially you can come into contact with the virus.’
As some cases have been detected in quarantine hotels in the country, Padraig said his room was a safe haven.
Among the realisations he came to during the 14 days watching the events at Capitol Hill unfold and Netflix, was that he was absolutely powerless to do anything. ‘You just had to write off those 14 days. I had set up my camera and had it perched on the window but the view was terrible. It was really boring viewing day by day. I would not recommend it to anybody.’
Padraig, who spends on average four months a year in New Zealand, was welcomed with a big hug by his landlords when he arrived at his rental accommodation in Auckland.
‘It was actually quite shocking. It caught me totally off guard. The first thing they did was hug me. It’s been nine months since anyone (outside my bubble) did that! We definitely have put ourselves in a position where we have to think about every single thing we do physically when greeting and meeting people.’
The first thing he did was go to the cinema with his son Olly.
‘I had been really looking forward to that.’ He said some people commented on his accent, one Kiwi going so far as to ask how he managed to get into the country.
‘I told the girl in the supermarket that I am a permanent resident. My business is closed. When I left I thought I’d be back open in April.’
That initial shock was the first of many over the coming days as Padraig adjusted to life beyond lockdown.
‘You have to wear a mask on public transport in Auckland, being a major population centre, and everyone uses an app where you scan a barcode every time you go into a premises in case there is an outbreak. Apart from that there are no restrictions. It’s sunny, bright and warm. You can go to the pub, the cinema, the Super Rugby Season has started and the stadium has been sold out.
‘I am a homebody when I’m in New Zealand. I like hanging out in my own space. I have an office here and I took a whole stack of film with me so I am busy working away on two book projects. I have a darkroom set up and I am printing.’
Describing Auckland as an expensive city to live in, Padraig said he really misses his family.
‘I have a little girl (Lottie) who is five and I miss her terribly but we do our face time twice a day. She teaches me new Irish words. Her mom is doing a great job homeschooling. It’s just incredible to think so many people are working their jobs from home and homeschooling kids.’
Padraig said the Irish government’s approach was very different to that of the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden.
‘Retrospect and hindsight gives great clarity but in the moment a decision was made in New Zealand that was not only were they going to flatten the curve; they were going to get ahead of it and stay ahead of it. They are blessed with a great leader who really thought out a strategy very quickly whereas in Ireland we didn’t take that approach. We have a Living With Covid-19 policy and we haven’t done badly compared to other countries and we’re doing way better in comparison to the USA and the UK and so many other places.’
He said the difference between New Zealand and Ireland is that they don’t have a divided jurisdiction.
‘ That really does complicate things. Here there doesn’t seem to be much joined up thinking between north and south.’ He covered the cholera epidemic in The Congo and said that opened his eyes to the importance of getting vaccinated.
‘I literally saw 60,000 people die in front of me in a two week period; all because they didn’t have access to water and cholera shots – so get vaccinated. Cancel out the nonsense and get that jab.’
The vaccination programme in New Zealand is only expected to be rolled out from June. ‘Because they are doing so well they are quite behind in delivery dates. This is an insidious virus. You can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It just takes that one rub of the nose after shaking hands with someone and you got it. In Ireland we had a massive surge in cases around Christmas time and it’s directly related to opening up in December. Two weeks ago here someone tested negative twice in a quarantine facility and ten days later they were out and came down with symptoms and were Covid positive. There was huge panic to trace everyone the person was in touch with. They got on top of it but that was just one case. It’s like the All Blacks. They’re after a 100 per cent win record.’
Padraig doesn’t know if he will be able to return to Wexford in April, as planned.
‘ The goalposts keep shifting as to when I can return to be with my family there. I will have to self isolate for 14 days. My legitimate reason is returning home to my family. This is going to continue until next winter.’