It seems New Zealand has something to celebrate as the country claims to have finally hit zero cases. Under new rules, limits put in place due to the pandemic have been lifted.
While this might be shocking to some it is quite interesting to be aware of. New Zealand went into lockdown back in March and most businesses were shut down along with schools and stay at home orders were in place. The country moved to level three in April and now things seem to be progressed to the point where the country is comfortable opening back up. The number of cases has been declining there for some time and now big changes are present.
BBC wrote as follows on this topic:
Under the new rules, all schools and workplaces can open. Weddings, funerals and public transport can resume without any restrictions. Social distancing is no longer required but will be encouraged.
The country’s borders remain closed to foreign travelers, and rules remain in place requiring New Zealanders arriving from abroad to go through 14 days of isolation or quarantine.
Ms. Ardern warned that the country would “certainly see cases again”, adding that “elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort”.
New Zealand has recorded 1,154 confirmed cases and 22 deaths from Covid-19 since the virus arrived in late February, but has been widely praised for its handling of the crisis.
For many, the latest announcement is a cause for celebration – but not without caution. Auckland-based lorry driver Patrick Weston told the BBC: “Everyone is so happy we’re finally through this, but we’re still nervous.
“I think the main thing people are worried about is the economy – so many people out of work, so many people looking for work at the same time.
As you can see this country has not seen anywhere near as many cases or deaths as other countries have and while everyone is nervous moving forward this country seems to have done something right and should be recognized for that. However, some believe restrictions should still be in place even with the numbers as they currently are because of how quick things can pick back up. Caution should be used, that much is quite certain.
For more information on this topic take a look at the video below. What is the difference between New Zealand and other countries? Is their decision to open back up one they may end up regretting?