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New Zealanders will begin to return to normal this week, as almost two months of strict blockade comes to an end after the country’s successful battle against Covid-19.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that the country would lower restrictions from Level 3 to Level 2 on Thursday, allowing schools to reopen, workers to return to their offices, and restaurants and retail stores to resume trade. Recreational and competitive sport could also be restarted, with libraries, playgrounds and museums opening.
The bars would reopen on May 21, Ardern said, as the director-general of health considered them “high risk” and social gatherings would be limited to 10, including at weddings and funerals.
Fewer than 1,500 people have been infected with Covid-19 in New Zealand after the government pursued a vigorous phase-out strategy, closed its borders on March 15 and entered a national blockade on March 25.
Ardern thanked his “five million team” for the sacrifices they had made to protect the most vulnerable in the country, specifically the elderly and the immunodepressed.
“Kiwis from all walks of life were determined and determined, they decided this was a war that we could eventually win, but only if we acted together,” said Ardern.
“The battle is won, but the war is not over.”
Currently 90 New Zealanders have Covid-19 and two people are in the hospital. The country now has the capacity to do 1,200 tests a day; a higher per capita test rate than Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and South Korea.
Travel within level two will be allowed, but the borders will remain closed to international visitors for “a long time,” Ardern said; a blow to the tourism industry as the ski season approaches.
Some restrictions on daily life will remain below level 2. Social distancing will be widespread, strangers will be avoided, and bars and restaurants can only serve seated customers. Strict hygiene standards still apply across the country, but you don’t need to wear masks in public. Ardern said restrictions on social gatherings will be reviewed in two weeks.
While New Zealand’s efforts to contain the virus have been praised by the World Health Organization, the stringent restrictions have drawn some criticism from the business community and economists. The economy expected to contract up to 8% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Ardern’s insistence on saving lives and not taking risks during the pandemic has won him many admirers, and the latest political poll put public confidence in the government at more than 80%.
New Zealand’s confinement restrictions were among the strictest in the world, with food, medicine and brief exercise sessions, the only activities that New Zealanders were allowed to leave their home during confinement.
Still, some New Zealanders greeted the news of the tightening of the restrictions with fear.
hamish mcneilly
(@southernscoop)DO WE STILL WEAR PANTS?
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