4 June

New Zealand looks set to declare total Covid elimination, on 15 June. For the people who think you have to ‘balance’ the economy and public health, note the NZers only needed 7 weeks of lockdown to achieve this. Economically, socially - in every way - they’re now going to be as good as back to normal. ScoMo said here we should prepare for 6 months of hardship. He relaxed restrictions after only 5 weeks. We may still eliminate, we all hope that. If we don’t, the incredible impatience to end restrictions will be possibly our greatest ever political crime. Under a suppression strategy, you’re not really very ‘open’ at all. Right now it feels like it only because our infections are so low. If we haven’t eliminated, all this social activity will mean they won’t stay low for long. If that happens, your economy is toast too.