Riding the Wave Train
Iso Day #33
Well, here we are on day 33 - the final day of NZ’s Alert Level 4; the strictest lockdown on our everyday freedoms that New Zealand has experienced in modern history. As of today, we have 1469 Covid-19 probable and confirmed cases in NZ, 1180 recoveries, and 19 deaths.
At the beginning of our lockdown period, PM Jacinda Ardern metaphorically described Covid-19 as a Tsunami. She was bang on. Where the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed on the surface at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. Initially, the Covid-19 outbreak travelled rapidly through China, undetected. The warning signal didn’t go off. The tsunami had begun at surface level, and people were none-the-wiser. Then came the coast guards - the whistleblowers in the form of young Chinese Doctors who sounded the alarm. For awhile, in late February / early March, we could sense that out in the distance, something wasn’t quite right. Soon, we realised what was going on in China, and then Italy. However the severity still felt so far removed from our little island nation at the bottom of the Pacific.
For me, the tidal pull started to appear upon the postponement of the AIX Trade Show in Hamburg. It’s the one opportunity every year for airlines to meet with suppliers to strengthen relationships, review new products and materials, and discuss opportunities. My team at Air NZ were attending in March. We had flights and accommodation booked, and a schedule packed with back-to-back meetings for 3 days. We held out hope for the show to be rescheduled later in the year. But then the WHO declared Covid-19 a Global Pandemic, and the show was cancelled outright.
From that point on, the realities came crashing down. We all know what happened next, as the Covid-19 wave hit the rest of Europe, then New York, Seattle, and the UK. The tsunami spread exponentially through the rest of the world. Borders closed, international flights were cancelled, and a tide of panic spread across the entire global population. Here in NZ, we stood on high ground with our supplies. Waiting. Watching.
The emergency alarm went off on our smartphones, and since then our entire population has been isolating in our bubbles for 33 days. Schools, workplaces and playgrounds have been closed; events cancelled; travel prohibited. Our social lives outside our immediate bubble have been non-existent. Restaurants and cafes have been closed, and we’ve had no choice but to eat food that we’ve prepared ourselves for the last month. We’ve had access to essential services - supermarkets, hospitals, pharmacies and doctors, but that’s where it stops. We’ve exercised in a 5km radius from our homes. We haven’t lingered, we’ve given others wide berths on the sidewalk and we’ve lined up for the supermarkets in 2 metre spacings.
Today, when I see a photo or a film where people are packed together at an event, or a store, or even around a meeting table, I cringe - what were we thinking?! How is it possible that in just 5 weeks, our tendency and gravitation to be so close to one another has become so foreign? Life, as we knew it, has been flipped upside down. If someone asked us what we thought 2020 had in-store for us, it definitely wouldn’t have been this.
Tragically, there have been deaths as a result of Covid-19 in New Zealand. People have been, and still are, terribly unwell. People have lost jobs; they’re suddenly facing hardships that have arrived like a slap in the face. Anxiety levels have been through the roof for many. The more social of us have been driven crazy with cabin fever.
But there have been recoveries. There have been stories of kindness. There has been hope and there have been successes. And at 11.59pm tonight, we will have made it to the finish line of Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand.
On reflection of the past 33 days, I’ve compiled a list of a few of my insights from the our time in lockdown - the things I’ve learnt, what I’ve loved, what I’m thankful for, and what I’m excited about in the future.
In compiling these lists, I’ve realised that above all, I’m proud. Proud of myself for remaining clear-headed and calm for the majority of this time despite the uncertainty. Proud of our Prime Minister for the incredible way that she has led our nation and avoided the catastrophe that could have so easily occurred. And mostly, I’m proud of New Zealanders. For staying home, for saving lives and for rising up to the job we were tasked with. For digging in and doing the right thing, even at the sacrifice of our businesses, our livelihoods, our social lives, and our sanity. This wasn’t what any of us signed up for on New Year’s Day 2020, and it hasn’t been easy.
For me personally, Level 3 won’t see much of a change - I’ll just be able to order a hot water bottle and some more canvas online. I’ll take a short trip to pick up takeaways in support of my local restaurant. I’ll still be working from home, on reduced hours, in my tiny bubble, and my man will still be 17,000km away.
Tsunamis are known as wave trains. They’re not a single wave but a series of waves. This isn’t over yet, and the hard work continues. But collectively we’re riding the wave train, and we’re seeing progress.
I’ve always been immensely proud to be a Kiwi. But right now, I’m proud of our 4.8 million person bubble more than ever. Kia Kaha NZ.
K x