No new corona infection has been diagnosed in New Zealand for 17 days. Only one person was infected with the virus, but this very last person was also declared cured. The country is corona-free and Prime Minister Ardern therefore decides to lift the last remaining restrictions.
Daily life in New Zealand had been the ‘new normal’ for several weeks. But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern now decides to go a step further: the remaining restrictions, such as social distance and contact research, will be lifted from midnight. Only the national borders remain closed.
The decision comes just after the news conference from New Zealand public health expert Ashley Bloomfield. He said that the very last corona patient has been cured. “This is very good news for the person in question,” he said. The woman, in her fifties, was the last known infection in the country. She has been complaint-free for 48 hours now.
“The rest of New Zealand can also be very satisfied,” Bloomfield emphasized. “For the first time since February 28, we have no active infections. That is a milestone. But we must remain cautious in our fight against Covid-19.”
By intervening early, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern managed to get the virus under control. When only 205 people in the country were infected with the corona virus, she announced a nationwide lockdown. Within 48 hours, the country was completely “locked” and foreigners were no longer allowed . The border was previously closed to travelers from China.
The total number of infections was therefore limited to 1504. 22 people died as a result of the coronavirus. These were mainly elderly people in a nursing home, where the virus had entered.
Prime Minister Ardern hopes to keep the virus outside New Zealand with closed borders. Until today there were still some restrictions, but daily life had already largely resumed. With winter on the doorstep, it means that ski resorts can open normally, restaurants and cafes are also allowed to open their doors for several weeks.
However, the land border will remain closed for the time being, probably even until a vaccine is found. However, there are talks with Australia to create a ‘travel bubble’. In Australia, the virus is also largely under control.