You can't compare suppressing the Delta variant to suppressing the original Covid, Delta is so much more contagious. Lockdowns across the world were very successful against the original Covid. The same settings have failed in Australia and it is unclear whether even a virtually perfect strategy in NZ can actually eliminate a Delta outbreak. Delta is virtually a different virus. So you can't look at Australia, and then excuse the hundreds of thousands of lives lost because suppression measures in the US against the original Covid were inadequate.
How is month 19 of "two weeks to flatten the curve"?? Have your government overlords allowed you to go more than 1km outside your home recently, with six masks and a space suit of course.
Have you bothered to do any research on our experience? Because we locked down early, not only did we crush the curve and not overwhelm our hospitals, but we have had more freedom throughout this pandemic and our economy has been stronger. I myself am no longer in lockdown and am only under minor social distancing restrictions, because we locked down when we only had 1 Delta case instead of waiting 10 days like Sydney did. The one thing holding us back is that when that case arrived our vaccine rollout was far from complete, since then we have administered more daily doses than the US ever did per capita and I believe more eligible New Zealanders are first dosed than Americans.
Australia similarly had better health, economic and social outcomes from using lockdowns against the original Covid, but Delta has been more problematic for them so they have needed to stay in lockdown until they are vaccinated (and their rollout has surged like ours). I think it would be immoral for many thousands to die and for the healthcare system to be overwhelmed when staying locked down for just a few more weeks would have prevented it.
