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Officials in New Zealand announced that no new cases of COVID-19 were detected for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as most companies in the country begin to reopen.
Speaking to reporters in Wellington on Wednesday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of the Health Ministry Ashley Bloomfield announced that the total number of confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus is 1,497.
Bloomfield said it was encouraging news as most companies, including shopping malls, retail stores and restaurants, will be able to reopen starting at midnight Wednesday, although social distancing rules will remain and meetings will be limited to 10 people. .
He said it is vital that the New Zealander “continue to model the personal behaviors that will keep COVID-19 out of New Zealand.”
Prime Minister Ardern said the country faced the most challenging economic conditions since the Great Depression due to the virus.
He noted that New Zealand is about to enter a “very tough winter, but every winter is eventually followed by spring, and if we make the right decisions, we can get New Zealanders back to work and our economy is moving fast again.”
