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    18 Photos That Show How Different Life During COVID Is In New Zealand And Australia Compared To The US

    I'd like to become a Kiwi ASAP, thanks!

    As someone living in a country that's rapidly approaching 25 million COVID-19 cases and just surpassed 400,000 deaths, it's pretty easy to forget that other places aren't nearly as impacted by the pandemic.

    But then I saw some pics of how things are going in New Zealand, and I was like, "Excuse me????"

    As it turns out, New Zealand just had its largest concert since the start of the pandemic and it was PACKED.

    Twitter: @consequence

    And by packed, I mean about 20,000 people.

    The concert was held in Waitangi, New Zealand and featured the band Six60, who will be having a nationwide tour.

    Revelers enjoying the music

    Look at all of them, they're so happy.

    A girl sitting on a man's shoulders enjoying the concert

    I mean, not a mask in sight.

    Two people sitting on other's shoulders dancing to the music

    No need for the six-feet-apart rule here!

    Two people standing having a conversation without having to socially distance

    This is happening in 2021. TWENTY TWENTY ONE.

    This guy's having a great time.

    A man playing a saxophone to a massive crowd

    Literally not a single care in the world.

    People walking around and chilling in a open space

    And let's not forget that Kiwis have been able to safely enjoy bars and restaurants since May 2020, when their COVID-19 threat level was only at Level 2. It's since gotten even better (obviously).

    People enjoying socializing inside a restaurant without having to social distance or wear masks

    So, obviously I saw that and felt a little jealous. But then, I caught wind of how Australia is basically doing the same thing, and I nearly cried from the couch I haven't left since March.

    This is happening in my city here in Australia right now in December 2020. Post-covid festivals are here. We haven’t had a case of covid in the community for over 8 months. Life is back to normal thanks to everyone doing the right thing! 👍

    Twitter: @ChampChong

    As it turns out, Aussies have been out here living their best lives too! Here's a festival that happened in Perth, Australia in July. JULY.

    A packed crowd dances at a concert

    To compare, July was the month when the US set a (then) record of 50,000 COVID-19 infections in one day.

    Not so in Australia!!!

    A man taking a selfie at a concert

    This is literally how Australians rang in New Year's Eve:

    People in a large crowd raise their hands in celebration

    These two lovebirds are basically saying, "Pandemic who?"

    Not only are they able to gather in big groups, but they can also hug their grandparents afterward without worrying about killing them, so that's pretty cool.

    I'm not necessarily saying the US is doing something wrong, but...

    People in the US standing in a line without wearing masks or socially distancing

    ...I'm not NOT saying that either.

    Two people holding on to each other while holding sparklers

    So, yeah, big congrats to New Zealand and Australia for doing such a great job keeping the pandemic under control. I'm very jealous and just wanna be able to hug my grandma.