Compare and contrast the COVID-19 response of any other country(New Zealand) with that of the USA, noting:
– What mistakes did they make?
– What positive actions did they undertake that the USA did not?
– How did disease/death outcomes compare to that of the USA.
– In what ways did the experience of COVID-19 patients (clinical, financial, etc.) different your chosen country and the USA?
– How did they handle the financial burdens imposed by lockdown?
** Chose New Zealand
Answers
Introduction
Typically, the emergence of a pandemic causes significant human suffering mainly due to the associated health and economic challenges. The fact that epidemics emerge without warning exacerbates the related uncertainties and problems, considering that people are usually unprepared for such incidences. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic early this year has caused significant health and economic challenges worldwide. Broadly, the fact that many countries were unprepared for the outbreak complicated the situation, causing a substantial number of deaths and extensive economic disruptions. Governments across the world have enacted varied responses to the epidemic. While some countries were quick to take early precautionary measures and therefore prevent high infection rates, other nations responded slowly, an aspect that explains the high infection rates and deaths associated with the disease. There are significant differences between the approach taken by New Zealand and the USA towards the virus. On the one hand, New Zealand responded swiftly by enacting strict lockdowns and curfews. On the other hand, the US government assumed a slow response, perhaps an indication that the administration underestimated the gravity of the disease.
New Zealand’s Approach
Just like in many other countries, the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic has caused significant health and economic challenges in New Zealand. The state reported its first coronavirus case on February 28 (France-Presse, 2020). The victim had travelled to the country from Iran (France-Presse, 2020). Although the New Zealand government had put in place adequate measures to control the virus, such as emphasizing high levels of hygiene and social distancing, the revelation that the disease had reached its borders informed a swift reaction (Taylor, 2020). In addition, the extreme health and economic challenges caused by the disease in Wuhan China caused the administration to enact a speedy response. In particular, the fear of large-scale deaths in a county with a small population of 4.8 million people caused the government to consider a strict approach to ensure zero infection rates and total elimination of the disease (Taylor, 2020). In general, New Zealand enacted a swift and rigorous plan in order to prevent further infections.
The “Go Early, Go Hard” Doctrine
The New Zealand government ran a coordinated response to Covid 19. Under the principle ‘go early, go hard,’ the administration enacted curfews and lockdowns in different phases. In particular, the government adopted a four-level alert system. On March 21, the Arden administration set the alert level at level two, ostensibly to notify the population of the impending danger and the need to take precautionary measures in order to prevent the disease from spreading (Sternlicht, 2020). At level two, people were advised to stay at home; however, there was no official movement restriction. In general, the government issued a level two alert in order to prepare people for stricter restrictions in the future.
Level 3 Alert
On March 23, the government issued the level 3 alert level. At this level, the administration closed all non-essential businesses and banned all events and gatherings. Also, Arden imposed a ban on all domestic air travel, essentially meaning people could not travel from one region to another. Earlier on March 19, the government had closed its borders, thus banning inbound international flights (Sternlicht, 2020). Only New Zealand citizens and health workers from other countries were allowed in. The primary goal of the level 3 alert was to prevent the emergence of new cases by ensuring that those infected with the virus did not interact with other members of society.
Level 4 Alert. Total Elimination Stage.
Although the restriction of both domestic and international travel and the closing of businesses raised the chances of controlling the spread of the disease, there was a need for a stricter approach that would ensure total elimination of the virus within New Zealand. Accordingly, on March 25, the government raised the alert level to level four, putting the nation under a complete lockdown (Taylor, 2020). Under this arrangement, the administration banned all forms of travel and interaction. As such, the conditions outlined obligated people to only interact within the confines of their homes.
The fact that people were not allowed to interact with their neighbours demonstrates the severity of the level four alert. With the nation under complete lockdown, all facilities, including schools, churches, entertainment sports, and public offices, were closed (Taylor, 2020). The streets remained empty for the entire lockdown period as people quarantined in their homes. These restrictions remained in place until April 27 (Taylor, 2020). The complete lockdown has had a positive impact on the reduction of infection rates. Indeed, by mid-June, New Zealand had reported a total of 1154 positive cases and 22 deaths, which in the grand scheme of things are minimal numbers (Taylor, 2020). In general, enacting a complete lockdown has enabled New Zealand to control the disease from spreading, thus averting the large-scale health challenges.
Testing Capacity
Besides imposing the lockdowns and closing the nation’s boundaries, the Arden led administration embarked on an ambitious testing program. Indeed, so far, New Zealand has one of the world’s highest testing per capita. As a mitigation strategy, New Zealand invested heavily in the production of testing kits and PPE equipment (Taylor, 2020). Such measures saw the country record an impressive rate of 8000 tests per day (Taylor, 2020). According to Prime Minister Arden, the failure to enact such mitigation measures would have caused the country to register a Covid 19 RO rate of 2.5 (Taylor, 2020). However, ramping up testing helped detect new infections and control the disease from spreading. Consequently, New Zealand Covid 19 RO rate dropped to 0.4, which minimized the chances of the disease spreading (Taylor, 2020). In general, new Zealand’s impressive testing capacity played a pivotal role in detecting infections and reducing the infection rate.
Clear Communication
One of the most impressive aspects of New Zealand’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is the government’s openness and transparency regarding the dissemination of information. Indeed, clear communication has played a vital role in rallying citizens behind their government, making it easy to control the rate of infection. For example, before activating the level four alert level that effected a nationwide lockdown, the government sent a text message to all citizens notifying them of the expected restriction of movement and the need for the containment (Taylor, 2020). Also, the communication revealed the duration under which the nation would be on lockdown. The concise frequent briefings regarding the state of the country concerning the disease are also a positive aspect of the government’s communication (Taylor, 2020). Since New Zealand reported its first coronavirus case, the Arden administration has provided citizens with frequent briefings backed by scientific data. Overall, New Zealand has managed to control coronavirus by ensuring open and transparent communication between health officials and citizens.
Government’s Response to The Economic Impact of Covid 19
The coronavirus epidemic has caused severe negative repercussions on New Zealand’s economy. In particular, the complete lockdown occasioned by the activation of the level four alert level and the subsequent closing of businesses disrupted economic activity, thus predisposing the majority of Kiwis to suffer (Graham-McLay, 2020). The closure of companies has also undermined the government’s sources of revenue (Graham-McLay, 2020). For example, the country’s numerous tourist sites have remained closed since the government banned international and domestic travel hence reducing the nation’s revenue basket. Taylor (2020) contends that New Zealand’s economy is expected to contract by approximately 6% due to the consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic. In general, the government’s move to impose strict lockdowns and closing of businesses has caused extensive economic disruptions.
The economic challenges presented by coronavirus have prompted the Arden administration to initiate several measures aimed at alleviating further losses, especially among business people. In response to the severe economic challenges, especially those associated with the closing down of businesses, the New Zealand parliament enacted a tax reform policy that aims to refund approximately $1.8 billion to people operating small businesses and who have been affected the most (Taylor, 2020). Besides, parliament has formulated several other policies aimed at providing economic relief to companies that were worst hit by the pandemic, hence bringing the total amount of money spent on stimulating economic growth during the crisis to around 23 billion New Zealand dollars (Taylor, 2020). Also, the Prime Minister, government ministers, and other top government officials have taken a 20% pay cut in order to reduce government spending (Taylor, 2020). Overall, the government of New Zealand has enacted tax reforms and authorized pay cuts for top government officials in response to the economic challenges occasioned by the pandemic.
USA’s Approach to Covid 19
The USA is one of the countries with the highest number of positive coronavirus cases. In addition, America has recorded the highest number of deaths related to the disease. The country reported its first case on January 20 in Washington State (Strasser & Long-Higgins, 2020). However, unlike New Zealand, America’s response to the pandemic was slow, an aspect that explains the high rate of infections and deaths. Despite possessing adequate information on the disease and the potentially high rate of infection, the Trump administration remained dismissive, terming the coronavirus concerns alarmist (Strasser & Long-Higgins, 2020). The failure to take the pandemic seriously denied the American government the opportunity to enact adequate measures to contain the virus. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US has a total of 2248029 positive Covid 19 cases (CDC, 2020). In addition, 119,615 people have died of the virus, marking one of the world’s highest death rate occasioned by the pandemic (Miller & Jiachuan, 2020). In sum, the failure to enact adequate Covid 19 containment measures led to a high rate of positive infections and death.
Although American officials initially assumed a dismissive attitude, the high rate of positive infections and related deaths prompted many state governments to take precautionary measures to avert further infections and deaths. As such, the majority of states saw the need for far-reaching initiatives such as lockdowns.
Lockdowns
Although lockdowns have featured significantly in America’s response to the pandemic, the perception by some government officials and sections of the populations to such measures have undermined the efforts to curb Covid 19. In particular, many top government officials, including President Donald Trump, opposed the lockdowns, terming them an infringement on people’s rights (Zurcher, 2020). Besides, sections of the population opposed the policies, oblivious to the danger they were subjecting themselves to (Zurcher, 2020). Many state governments enacted lockdowns in order to slow the spread of the virus and minimize the chances of their healthcare systems collapsing amid the high infection rate.
Although a significant portion of the population and some government officials initially opposed the lockdowns, the reduction of positive coronavirus cases and related deaths demonstrate the efficacy of social distancing in controlling the disease. So far, three states, New York, Michigan, and Louisiana, have managed to flatten the curve and minimize the number of deaths occasioned by Covid 19 (Zurcher, 2020). The states mentioned above were the first to enact lockdown policies. However, despite the success posted by the three, other state governments are reluctant to impose strict social distancing rules, and as a consequence, the infection rate remains high (Zurcher, 2020). Overall, states that implemented lockdown policies have seen a reduction in the infection rate.
Increasing Hospital Capacity
The high number of infection rates and the subsequent need for hospitalization necessitated state governments to increase their hospital capacity. For example, in New York, one of the worst-hit cities, the mayor argued that within 45 days of infections, the city would require around 110,000 hospital beds, far more than the 53,000 available (Zurcher, 2020). In response to the crisis, President Donald Trump dispatched USNS Comfort from the US Navy in an effort to increase the state’s hospital capacity (Zurcher, 2020). The need for more hospital beds informed the New York city administration to convert open spaces such as the Javiz Center into temporary hospitals (Zurcher, 2020). Besides New York, other states increased their hospital capacities in preparation for the crisis. In sum, the high infection necessitated an increase in hospital capacity in all the states.
Mistakes
Use of Antimalarial Drug Chloroquine
Using the anti-malaria drug, chloroquine to treat Covid 19, was one of the worst mistakes American officials made. Unfortunately, many American government officials emphasized the use of the drug, claiming that it would eliminate the virus (Zurcher, 2020). However, such contradicted scientific evidence indicated the drug is ineffective against the virus, and administering it on patients can lead to life-threatening complications.
Lack of PPE
The lack of PPE has been a fundamental challenge for American healthcare workers. The shortage of such essential equipment has made it challenging for frontline health workers to dispense their services effectively, thus minimizing the chances of successfully managing the virus (Zurcher, 2020). Besides, the lack of protective equipment predisposes the chances of healthcare officials contracting the virus. Indeed, several nurses have contracted the virus in the line of duty (Zurcher, 2020). On the whole, the shortage of PPEs undermines America’s war on Covid 19.
Inefficiency in Providing Economic Relief
The coronavirus epidemic has occasioned massive job losses hence undermining the American economy in significant ways. In particular, the lockdown policies and social distancing rules enacted as precautionary measures have led to the loss of jobs and income, leading to a surge in the number of people in need of economic aid (Zurcher, 2020). In response, Congress has approved more than $3tn to cushion against job losses and decreased production (Zurcher, 2020). However, despite Congress’s actions, getting the money to those in need has been a fundamental challenge, mainly to the absence of the appropriate structures, and the failure to identify those in urgent need of relief (Zurcher, 2020). Overall, there are massive inefficiencies in the provision of economic aid to Americans affected by the pandemic.
Conclusion
In general, there are significant differences in the approaches taken by New Zealand and the USA towards the coronavirus pandemic. On the one hand, New Zealand’s plan was swift and effective, an aspect that explains the relatively low number of infections and death. In particular, the enactment of curfews and lockdowns played an integral role in controlling the spread of the disease, thus enabling the nation to avert a large-scale crisis. New Zealand also embarked on a vigorous testing campaign that enabled the early detection and management of cases. Other measures taken by New Zealand include tax reforms aimed at benefiting those affected by the pandemic and enacting pay cuts for top government officials. On the other hand, the US’s response was slow and chaotic. The failure by senior government officials to take the pandemic seriously led to a high infection and death rate. Besides, some government officials opposed lockdowns and restriction of movement, hence making it difficult to control the virus. The provision of economic relief to those worst affected has also been a fundamental challenge. Whereas Congress has passed a financial relief budget amounting to $3tn, the absence of the appropriate structure and failure to identify the most deserving cases has made it difficult to role out the aid program.
References
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (June, 2020). Cases in the US. CDC, 2020, Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html
France-Presse, A., (Feb, 2020) New Zealand confirms first coronavirus Case. The Guardian, 2020. Retrieved from www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/28/new-zealand-confirms-first-coronavirus-case
Graham-McLay, C., (May, 2020) New Zealand Budget: ‘No Playbook’ For Covid-19 Economic Recovery, Says Ardern. The Guardian, 2020, Retrieved from www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/13/new-zealand-budget-no-playbook-for-covid-19-economic-recovery-says-ardern
Miller, S.G., & Jiachuan, W., (June, 2020) Coronavirus in The U.S.: Map of How Many Cases Have Been Confirmed Across the Country. NBC News, 2020, Retrieved from uwww.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/coronavirus-u-s-map-where-virus-has-been-confirmed-across-n1124546
Strasser, F., & Long-Higgins, H. (May, 2020) Coronavirus: The Lost Six Weeks When US Failed to Contain Outbreak, BBC, 2020, Retrieved from www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-52622037/coronavirus-the-lost-six-weeks-when-us-failed-to-contain-outbreak
Sternlicht, A., (June, 2020) How New Zealand ‘Eliminated’ Coronavirus. Forbes, 2020. Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/06/08/how-new-zealand-eliminated-coronavirus/#42c8bf2f1bbd
Taylor, C., (May, 2020) How New Zealand’s ‘Eliminate’ Strategy Brought New Coronavirus Cases Down to Zero, CNBC, 2020, Retrieved from www.cnbc.com/2020/05/05/how-new-zealand-brought-new-coronavirus-cases-down-to-zero.html
Zurcher, A. (May, 2020) Coronavirus Response: Things the US Has Got Right – And Got Wrong. BBC, 2020. Retrieved from www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52579200
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