WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand marked 100 days without a domestic coronavirus transmission on Sunday, but warned against complacency as countries such as Vietnam and Australia, which once controlled the virus, are now battling resistance to infections.
PHILO PHOTO: People walk on Lambton Quay Street in Wellington, New Zealand, 23 July 2020. REUTERS / Praveen Menon
New Zealand’s successful fight against COVID-19 has made the Pacific Ocean Island of 5 million one of the safest places in the world at present.
New Zealanders are back to normal life, but authorities are worried that people are now refusing tests, not making use of government government applications, and even ignoring basic hygiene rules.
“Reaching 100 days without community transmission is a major milestone. However, as we all know, we can not be trusted to be self-sufficient,” said Health Director-General Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
“We have seen abroad how quickly the virus can reappear and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we must be ready to put out all future cases in New Zealand soon,” he said.
New Zealand has 23 active cases in controlled isolation facilities, and 1,219 COVID-19 cases in all so far.
Vietnam, which went three months without detecting any single domestic transfer, is now racing to control a new outbreak in Danang.
Besides Australia the second largest city, Melbourne, has embarked on a six-week lockdown due to a rise in cases. The second wave of cases in Melbourne was largely a result of decline in quarantine.
“For countries such as Australia and New Zealand, the source of such outbreaks is likely to come from managed isolation and quarantine facilities due to the large number of people being held and the multiple relocations of staff working to care for them,” said Michael. Baker, Professor of Public Health at the University of Otago.
There have been cases of returning New Zealanders killed out of quarantine, and other security slip ups.
New Zealand set up tests at quarantine facilities and clinics last week, and began working on technology to track people using Bluetooth technology.
Ardern launched her re-election campaign on Saturday, calling it a ‘Covid election’.
But a recurrence of cases due to “Covid fatigue” could throw up a backlog against them, giving the opposition a chance to work their way back into the election campaign.
Repotring by Praveen Menon; Edited by Michael Perry
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