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What keeps an island community COVID-19 free in a global pandemic?

Pam OliverNeil LindsayRobin Kearns
Published in: New Zealand geographer (2021)
The COVID pandemic has offered opportunities for islands and other relatively isolated communities to establish pandemic-protection boundaries. A July 2020 survey of Waiheke Island residents sought views on how the island had remained COVID-19 free, despite proximity to a city of 1.6 million (Auckland, NZ). Many attributed that status to 'pure luck' or a 'moat' effect. However, many also attributed freedom from COVID-19 to reinforcing high-level community cohesiveness and shared values. The Waiheke community's response can be seen as a microcosm of New Zealand as an island nation and an exemplar of a response to pandemic threats uniquely possible for small islands.
Keyphrases
  • coronavirus disease
  • sars cov
  • mental health
  • healthcare
  • respiratory syndrome coronavirus
  • cross sectional