‘We can’t understand why
NORTH EAST EXPATS IN NEW ZEALAND SHARE INSIGHTS
IMAGINE standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, inside a packed stadium where social distancing is a thing of the past. In Britain, that image still seems a long way away.
But for three North East natives living on the other side of the world, that is their reality.
The expats have spent lockdown living 12,000 miles away in New Zealand, a country which became the envy of the world for the way it all but eliminated Covid-19.
By May, the bars had already reopened after infection rates rapidly fell.
In June, 20,000 fans watched a live game of rugby inside Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr stadium. That’s where former professional boxer Harry Escott lives after moving to New Zealand from the North East on Christmas Eve 2006.
Since the pandemic started, he has followed events back in Britain, which has seen death rates more than 2,000 times greater than New Zealand’s. “One thing I’ve struggled with is how the UK has and is dealing with the pandemic,” said the 50-year-old.
“Most of my Kiwi and UK friends living in New Zealand just don’t understand why [the UK has suffered so badly].” New Zealand’s limiting of its death toll to 22 has been commended across the globe but the country has some huge geographical advantages. Its islands are several hours’ flying time from its closest major neighbour, Australia. And with a population of just five million spread in a country of a similar size to the UK, social distancing really wasn’t that difficult.
However, Harry attributes his adopted country’s success down to another factor: the mentality of the nation.
A country of huge racial and cultural diversity, it bonds over its beloved All Blacks rugby team and Harry frequently describes the nation as a “team”, which united to get through the crisis as one.
“What’s really awesome and makes me proud to be a Kiwi is the team of five million did their bit to beat corona by staying put and listening and complying with the rules,” said the Washington-born dad.
“Obviously we had a very small minority who didn’t play ball, I think there were only 200 people arrested.
“I believe that going hard early has saved New Zealand and only 22 deaths says a lot about us.”
Going “hard and fast” was the message Prime Minister Jacinda Arden used at the start of the crisis to get across how she planned on halting the virus, and the sacrifices that would need to be made in terms of people’s liberty and livelihoods.
Many of the same sacrifices made by the British public were made. Vulnerable people were shielded. Crucially, borders were closed very early – and remain almost completely closed.
But there were different challenges. Only a few supermarkets offered delivery, with up to 500 households wanting the service at a time. Hospitals aren’t always close by, and Harry says that had he fallen sick, the closest A&E department was 100km away. However, besides the odd daily case, the virus appears to no longer be part of New Zealand life. The only new cases are coming from returning Kiwis or people granted special permission to enter on compassionate grounds. The PM declared the nation Covid-free back in June, admitting she “did a little dance” when she realised the magnitude of what had collectively been achieved. Over a month later, plasterer Kevin Huntley claims life now feels “100% normal”.
“Life is literally exactly how it was
A team of five million did their bit by staying put and listening and complying with the rules