5 ms·

same goes for taiwan. its not news that relatively small islands with restrictive and defensive covid policies got this right.

galimaufry 6y ago
I'm kind of surprised that being an island would help, actually. Is international travel into prosperous islands really less than into equally prosperous contintental countries? Most long-distance travel is by air anyway.
- iso947 6y ago
  Very few people pass through NZ, it’s not like london or singapore or whatever. NZ doesn’t rely on cross border lorry drivers either, and is far enough away that any boats are quarantined
- luckylion 6y ago
  > Most long-distance travel is by air anyway. You can't land just anywhere on an island, but you can take lots of roads into large countries on a continent. Islands have much more control over arrivals than landlocked countries with lots of neighbors and very integrated road & train networks.
- odshoifsdhfs 6y ago
  New Zealand total passengers (all airports) per year is less than just JFK per year (59M JFK vs 43M all of NZ give or take)
- 317070 6y ago
  Trucking goods over land will spread a lot more covid than shipping over sea (with seamen no longer allowed to leave ship). That is the big factor I reckon. So islands will ship everything already, whereas most land-countries move a lot of goods with trucking, and spread the disease that way, even when land-borders are closed. International travel can be closed off with little repercussion.
2muchcoffeeman 6y ago
Being an island is a huge advantage for sure. But China is also kicking ass. Everyone in a city gets tested if there are even a few cases. Thailand also seems to be doing ok. Italy also has it under control for now. There are clearly strategies that would work for non-islands.
- lima 6y ago
  Italy doesn't, they're currently experiencing a major spike like much of Europa.
lostlogin 6y ago
> small islands with restrictive and defensive covid policies got this right. Contrast NZ with the UK. That train wreck has hit an island that should have done better.
- hankchinaski 6y ago
  uk covid policies were anything but defensive (“herd immunity”, “save the economy”)

galimaufry 6y ago

I'm kind of surprised that being an island would help, actually. Is international travel into prosperous islands really less than into equally prosperous contintental countries? Most long-distance travel is by air anyway.

iso947 6y ago
Very few people pass through NZ, it’s not like london or singapore or whatever. NZ doesn’t rely on cross border lorry drivers either, and is far enough away that any boats are quarantined
luckylion 6y ago
> Most long-distance travel is by air anyway. You can't land just anywhere on an island, but you can take lots of roads into large countries on a continent. Islands have much more control over arrivals than landlocked countries with lots of neighbors and very integrated road & train networks.
odshoifsdhfs 6y ago
New Zealand total passengers (all airports) per year is less than just JFK per year (59M JFK vs 43M all of NZ give or take)
317070 6y ago
Trucking goods over land will spread a lot more covid than shipping over sea (with seamen no longer allowed to leave ship). That is the big factor I reckon. So islands will ship everything already, whereas most land-countries move a lot of goods with trucking, and spread the disease that way, even when land-borders are closed. International travel can be closed off with little repercussion.

2muchcoffeeman 6y ago

Being an island is a huge advantage for sure. But China is also kicking ass. Everyone in a city gets tested if there are even a few cases. Thailand also seems to be doing ok. Italy also has it under control for now. There are clearly strategies that would work for non-islands.

lima 6y ago
Italy doesn't, they're currently experiencing a major spike like much of Europa.

lostlogin 6y ago

> small islands with restrictive and defensive covid policies got this right. Contrast NZ with the UK. That train wreck has hit an island that should have done better.

hankchinaski 6y ago
uk covid policies were anything but defensive (“herd immunity”, “save the economy”)