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Premier Jacinda Ardern says the country “won the battle” but must remain “vigilant”
New Zealand says it has stopped community transmission of covid-19, effectively eliminating the virus.
With few new cases over several days, only one on Sunday (04/26), Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the virus has “currently” been removed.
But officials warned against complacency, saying this does not mean the end of all-new coronavirus cases.
The news came hours before New Zealand emerged from its most rigid level of social restrictions. Starting this Tuesday (28), some non-essential business, health and education activities can be resumed.
But most people will still need to stay home at all times and avoid all social interactions.
“We are opening the economy, but we are not opening people’s social lives,” Ardern said in the government’s daily statement.
New Zealand recorded less than 1,500 confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus and 19 deaths.
‘Trust’
New Zealand Director of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the low number of new cases in recent days “gives us confidence that we have reached our goal of elimination.”
He warned that “deletion” does not mean that there will be no new cases, “but it does mean that we know where our cases come from.”
Ardern said “there was no undetected community transmission in New Zealand,” adding: “We won this battle.”
But she said the country “must remain vigilant if we want to remain so.”
How did New Zealand respond to the virus?
The country of 4.8 million people (smaller than the city of Rio de Janeiro) adopted some of the world’s strictest travel and activity restrictions at the start of the pandemic, when there were only a few dozen cases.
It closed its borders, began to quarantine all who arrived in the country, caused a strict blockade, and organized an extensive testing and follow-up operation on contacts.
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New Zealand adopted very strict travel and activity restrictions at the start of the pandemic; Above, the sign asks people to be friendly and stay calm
Beaches, seaside promenades, and playgrounds closed on March 26, as well as offices and schools. Bars and restaurants were also closed, even for pickup and delivery.
Ardern said studies indicate that New Zealand could have more than 1,000 cases per day if it had not entered the blockade so soon.
She said the country may never know how bad it would have been, but that “through our cumulative actions, we avoid the worst.”
New Zealand’s remote location and easily restricted borders acted in the country’s favor when the virus broke out, experts say.
But the government was also praised for the clarity of its messages during the crisis.
At midnight Monday through Tuesday, New Zealand went from blocking level four to level three. This means that most companies will be able to reopen, including delivery restaurants, but not those that involve personal contact.
New Zealanders are instructed to keep their “bubble”, a small group of close friends or family, and to stay within 2 meters of people.
Mass gatherings are still prohibited, shopping malls remain closed, and most children do not go to school. The New Zealand border will remain closed.
What’s going on in neighboring Australia?
In Australia, the increase in infections has also slowed considerably in recent weeks. There were only 16 new cases registered on Sunday.
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The country was one of the first to adopt measures of social isolation.
As in New Zealand, your government has been praised for its response to the crisis, and opinion polls show that confidence in the country’s leadership has increased.
Restrictions are easing in some areas, and some states plan to relax the rules of social detachment to allow more outdoor gatherings later this week.
Starting in Queensland on Saturday, people will be able to shop for clothes, have a picnic in the park, or swim on the beach.
The Western Australia region is also joining forces with South Australia to expand the two-person national limit to 10-person meetings.
However, many Australians still need to stay home, unless they have essential reasons to shop, exercise, or go out.
More than 1 million Australians also downloaded a coronavirus contact tracking app just hours after it was released by the government.
Users of the application will be notified if they have had more than 15 minutes of close contact with another user who has tested positive for covid-19.
There are reports that Australia and New Zealand are considering opening trips between them, but no decision has been made.
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