Gabe Newell has been in New Zealand since the pandemic began, thanks country with free...

midian182

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In a nutshell: Being trapped in another country for months on end might not sound appealing, but when that country is New Zealand, which has had some of the world's lowest Covid-19 infection and death figures, it's not as bad. Just ask Valve boss Gabe Newell, who's so grateful to the nation for having him during the pandemic he's putting on a free concert.

New Zealand has long been a favorite backup plan for billionaires who buy land as a form of "apocalypse insurance." Peter Thiel, who has named at least five of his companies in reference to The Lord of the Rings, owns a 193-hectare estate on the shores of Lake Wanaka and has been granted New Zealand citizenship.

Newell didn't travel to the country to escape Covid-19. He was taking a ten-day break with Alex Riberas and the Spanish racing driver's partner, Teagan Klein, back in March after shipping Half-Life: Alyx, but the pandemic broke out during their visit, and "we had 48 hours to decide before New Zealand closed their border, and we decided to stay," said Klien. "It's five months later now and here we are, happy as ever."

Newell agreed: "For me it’s very much about the community spirit, the sense that everybody can come together and solve this super challenging problem and then be welcoming to us, essentially as Covid refugees [...] there’s the natural beauty, there’s all the fun stuff you can do, but it’s the people that have made our lives different."

New Zealand has recorded just 1,555 cases of Covid-19 and 22 deaths related to the virus. The country hasn't recorded a new infection from an unknown source in over 75 days. Apart from border restrictions and quarantines, life has returned to relative normality—no social distancing—unlike the US.

"When I talk to people back in Seattle it's a very strange time, it's very challenging. They're very isolated, they aren't able to go out and take advantage of the environment that New Zealand has created itself and visitors like us," said Newell, on the TV spot.

To thank the country, the trio has put together a free event called 'We Love Aotearoa' on August 15 in Auckland. It will consist of live music, workshops and activities, virtual reality stands, art installations, and food trucks.

"These events are a thank you to the people of New Zealand for being so kind and welcoming, and also an acknowledgment of the hard work that 'the team of 5 million' have gone through to get us to where we are now," states the event page.

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Low infection rates or not, a concert doesn't sound like the best idea during an ongoing pandemic, but whatever.

Englands pubs are filled to max, the beaches were rammed even a month/two ago, people won't listen, it's all a hoax.

No I am sure it will be fine. They will have crazy precautions to ensure that nothing goes out of hand. Sanitisers, masks and maybe even temperature checking at entry. Who knows.

Is it me or does this video feel a bit strange? I just can't put my finger on it.
 
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It took only 5 months away from the American diet for Gabe to no longer look dangerously overweight. GFH
 
Comes to NZ for a holiday, then stays permanently. Wonder what kind of visa lets you do that?
Rich people visa?

But with the whole covid thing going on, planes from overseas to take him out of the country are going to be in short supply. If someone flies him out on their plane, they probably won't be allowed back due to the quarantine.
 
Englands pubs are filled to max, the beaches were rammed even a month/two ago, people won't listen, it's all a hoax.

No I am sure it will be fine. They will have crazy precautions to ensure that nothing goes out of hand. Sanitisers, masks and maybe even temperature checking at entry. Who knows.

Is it me or does this video feel a bit strange? I just can't put my finger on it.

Life is as normal except when travelling to NZ, then there's a mandatory 2 weeks quarantine for people that arrive here.
 
Low infection rates or not, a concert doesn't sound like the best idea during an ongoing pandemic, but whatever.

Like the article states we have had no Covid in the community for 75 days, all the active cases are returning home Kiwis who are all put into managed quarantine and tested more than once and if still covid free and have no symptoms can then go on their merry way after a two week stint in quarantine. We have had packed stadiums watching sport etc for about a month now. Life in NZ is fairly normal at the moment. As a country we locked down early and stopped the spread as fast as possible and now are reaping the benefits. Long may it last!
 
Rich people visa?

But with the whole covid thing going on, planes from overseas to take him out of the country are going to be in short supply. If someone flies him out on their plane, they probably won't be allowed back due to the quarantine.

Air New Zealand has been flying direct to LAX the whole time five days a week. He's not "stuck".
 
Like the article states we have had no Covid in the community for 75 days, all the active cases are returning home Kiwis who are all put into managed quarantine and tested more than once and if still covid free and have no symptoms can then go on their merry way after a two week stint in quarantine. We have had packed stadiums watching sport etc for about a month now. Life in NZ is fairly normal at the moment. As a country we locked down early and stopped the spread as fast as possible and now are reaping the benefits. Long may it last!

NZ did not lock down early, we did it AFTER Trump banned flights from China (for which he was called racist). Even after the border was closed it was in name only, friends of ours returned while self isolation was still a thing and it was a joke. Having recently returned to NZ and spending two weeks in managed isolation I know for a fact the PPE precautions being taken right now are no better.

Either covid is nowhere near as contagious as they thought OR its spreading in NZ and is nowhere near as deadly as they thought. There is no way the border precautions are stopping 100% of the people with covid entering the country while still carrying the virus. Maybe this is why, aside from all the bluster about increasing testing, that no one in the community in NZ can get a covid test - because the government will be ruined if the public finds out it was all a pointless sham 10 weeks before the election.
 
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