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Coffee and fast food seemed to be the first thing New Zealanders thought about when the country emerged from almost five weeks of strict closure.
The alert level has been moved to level three, allowing re-takeaway stores and some nonessential businesses to reopen.
And it wasn’t long before queues were seen in front of McDonalds coffee shops and outlets when people ran out.
“That cup of coffee tasted amazing and I felt a sense of normalcy come back into my life,” said a coffee lover.
“Nothing beats an expert barista who makes you coffee,” Auckland-based Victoria Howe told the BBC.
Dr. Samantha Keene, a Wellington-based New Zealander agreed, saying “the ability to get someone else’s coffee and bun after weeks of making it myself was a real treat.”
But it was the reopening of McDonalds that excited people, with local media speaking to an Auckland resident who said he arrived at 4:00 AM.
The online footage showed queues of cars and people posing with their fast food loot.
“It’s great to have a treat at the end of a rather difficult period of confinement,” Christopher Bishop, a local MP, told the BBC, adding that his order was “a delicious McMuffin sausage and egg.”
“Don’t congregate in cafes”
But although the curve appears to have flattened out, New Zealand’s leading health expert has warned against people congregating outside public spaces.
“Like many people who return to work today, I have enjoyed coffee to go. However, it is important not to congregate outside cafes, parking take-away places like McDonalds. We don’t want to see the kind of rebound we’ve seen in other countries, “said Dr. Ashley Bloomfield.
Under the level three alert, one notch below its highest alert level, people have still been told to stay home and work at home if they can, but companies can open if they can provide a service without Contact.
Schools can also reopen, but they must ensure that social distancing rules are followed. However, mass gatherings remain canceled and public places closed.
New Zealand currently has 1,124 confirmed cases and 19 deaths from a population of around five million people. His new cases have remained in single digits for several days, leading the government to say that the virus was effectively removed.
What did New Zealand do well?
New Zealand’s apparent success in containing the virus has been attributed to its early and radical actions.
New Zealand introduced some of the world’s toughest travel and activity restrictions on March 19, at the start of the global pandemic.
That helped prevent cases from being brought in from abroad: 33% of New Zealand cases were imported.
As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at the time: “We only have 102 cases, but Italy also did it once.”
“If you look at neighboring Australia, two-thirds of its cases come from abroad,” Professor Sanjaya Senanayake of the National University of Australia told the BBC.
“So it was really important to close the borders and you did it very effectively.”
- It had a quick and clear closure
On March 21, New Zealand introduced a new public alert system with four levels: the highest is a total national blockade and the lowest indicates that the disease was contained, but people should be prepared.
It entered level two, which meant that there was an increased risk of community transmission. Days later, the country went on to a level four alert.
Offices, schools and public spaces such as beaches and playgrounds were closed. Bars and restaurants were also closed, even take-out and drop-off.
The health ministry says 80% of close contacts of someone confirmed with the virus are now being alerted within 48 hours of diagnosis.
That means these people can isolate themselves until the incubation period has passed, and they can be tested. Authorities say 8,000 people are being evaluated every day.
However, there has been some criticism that contact tracking needs to be further expanded to remain effective.
People are also encouraged to keep a diary of the people they interact with, and New Zealand is also working on a contact tracking app, similar to those used in Singapore and Australia.
- He told people to choose a “bubble”
New Zealanders were not told to stay alone in their homes but in their “bubble”: a small group of close friends or family who agreed to see themselves alone.
Experts say this approach can make people less restricted, therefore less tempted to break the rules.
They were also told from the beginning to stay within 2 meters (6 feet) of people.
The government has also been praised for the clarity of its messages throughout the crisis, and Ardern and Dr. Bloomfield were praised.
“I think when you listen to your prime minister deliver sensitive information in a calm way that also helps you feel calm,” said Professor Senanayake.
But he warned against lifting the restrictions too soon, saying that people still had to “remain vigilant.”
“I think the best way to lift the restrictions is to do it piece by piece, looking very closely at an increase in cases,” he said.
“The only way to do it is to continue surveillance and improved testing. Today the restrictions have decreased, but if the cases increase, you should consider going back to the restrictions. It is something to be aware of. “
