Dominic Taylor-
Newzealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern Says New Zealand Has ‘beaten Coronavirus again’ as Auckland prepares to lift restrictions.
The country’s biggest city has just recovered from another spike in August, which forced its 1.5 million residents into another lockdown for three weeks to prevent nationwide transmission.
Moving to level one means there’ll be no limits on social gatherings, nor will there be any social distancing requirements in restaurants and bars. Masks will also no longer be mandatory on public transport. Ardern urged New Zealanders not to be complacent, asking people to still wash their hands, scan QR codes and getting tested if they develop symptoms.
“It felt longer, and dragged on in what was already starting to feel like a very long year.” “But despite this, Aucklanders and New Zealanders stuck to the plan that has worked twice now, and beat the virus again,” Arden said. There is now a 95-percent probability of the cluster being eliminated,” Ardern said at a news conference.
After New Zealand’s population beat the outbreak in May, following a strict lockdown that saw 102 days without transmission, Ardern now says he is confident that a second wave of COVID-19 has been curbed.
Auckland is feeling very optimistic after going through 10 consecutive days in the city without new cases of Covid-19. The easing of measures means there will be no 100-person limit on gatherings in Auckland, and no physical distancing rules in bars and restaurants.
The country recorded one new case on Monday, involving a New Zealander returning from overseas, taking its total number of confirmed cases to 1,499, including 25 deaths.
The fact Ardern’s family is ahead in polls for the country’s general election on October 17 is testament to her success in effectively dealing with the pandemic in the country.
Arden has warned against complacency, and pointed to a decline in the use of the official COVID-19 tracing app and falling virus test numbers.
“A resurgence of the virus is not our only worry, resurgence of complacency is right up there too,” Ardern said.
Ardern added ‘there is now a 95% probability of the cluster being eliminated’, and while ‘COVID-19 will be with us for many months to come… we should still mark these milestones’.
Moving to level one means there’ll be no limits on social gatherings, nor will there be any social distancing requirements in restaurants and bars. While masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport, Ardern urged New Zealanders not to be complacent, asking people to still wash their hands, scan QR codes and getting tested if they develop symptoms.