New Zealand says coronavirus 'eliminated' and life can resume without restrictions

By Praveen Menon

 

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during an interview with Reuters in Wellington, New Zealand, December 11, 2019. REUTERS/Yiming Woo/File Photo

 

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand has eliminated transmission of the coronavirus domestically and will lift all containment measures except for border controls, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday, making it one of the first countries to do so.

 

Public and private events, the retail and hospitality industries and all public transport could resume without social distancing norms still in place across much of the world, she said.

 

"While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone ... Thank you, New Zealand," Ardern told reporters.

 

"We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort."

 

The South Pacific nation of about five million people is emerging from the pandemic while big economies such as Brazil, Britain, India and the United States grapple with the spreading virus.

 

This was largely due to 75 days of restrictions including about seven weeks of a strict lockdown in which most businesses were shut and everyone except essential workers had to stay at home.

 

"Today, 75 days later, we are ready," Ardern told a news conference, announcing the government would drop social distancing restrictions from midnight on Monday and move to a level 1 national alert from Level 2.

 

Border controls would remain and everyone entering the country would be tested, she said.

 

There were no active cases in New Zealand for the first time since the virus arrived in late February, the health ministry said. New Zealand has reported 1,154 infections and 22 deaths from the disease.

 

New Zealand vowed to eliminate, not just contain, the virus. This means stopping transmission for an extended period after the last known case is cleared, while being ready to quickly detect and isolate any new cases including from abroad.

 

New Zealanders cheered the lifting of curbs and the topic quickly trended on Twitter. Rugby fans in particular were looking forward to attending stadiums to watch the opening games of the domestic competition this weekend.

 

Ardern said she did a "little dance" when she was told there were no more active COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, surprising her two-year-old daughter, Neve.

 

"She was caught a little by surprise and she joined it having absolutely no idea why I was dancing around the lounge. She enjoyed it nevertheless," Ardern said.

 

ECONOMIC REBUILD

 

Ardern, 39, has won global praise for her leadership during the pandemic and her popularity has seen stratospheric growth over the last few months.

 

She is well placed to win a second term in office in September elections, according to recent opinion polls.

 

Even so, the government will need to show it is up to the task of reviving the economy, which is expected to sink into recession.

 

Opposition parties have criticised Ardern's decision to keep restrictions for so long despite there being no new cases for over two weeks.

 

Ardern did not commit to a timeline for a proposed 'travel bubble' to open with Australia, although the tourism industries in both countries have been pushing for it.

 

"We will need to move cautiously here. No one wants to jeopardize the gains New Zealand has made," she said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-08

 

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Yeah . . . until the visitors from outside the country start bringing it back in. The school I work at will likely open 1 July but told us to be prepared in case we have to shut down again due to a return of the virus.

 

Say what you will, if I had a hat I would take it off in salute to the way Thailand has handled the virus. Not perfect (alcohol ban?!?) but effectual.

16 minutes ago, J Town said:

Yeah . . . until the visitors from outside the country start bringing it back in. The school I work at will likely open 1 July but told us to be prepared in case we have to shut down again due to a return of the virus.

 

Say what you will, if I had a hat I would take it off in salute to the way Thailand has handled the virus. Not perfect (alcohol ban?!?) but effectual.

Yes, not testing at all certainly results in low numbers. Great job.

Well done nz. Leading the world yet again. Such a small country just keeps punching above its weight.

Very false headline. The international borders are still closed as they should be.

2 minutes ago, ripstanley said:

Very false headline. The international borders are still closed as they should be.

Yeah, borders being closed can hardly be considered resumed life without restrictions.

14 minutes ago, J Town said:

Yeah, borders being closed can hardly be considered resumed life without restrictions.

It is for those living there. Its not their fault other govts dropped the ball. 

 

Many countries would love to be in their position. Life in nz back to normal, now waiting for others to catch up.

32 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Well done nz. Leading the world yet again. Such a small country just keeps punching above its weight.

Yeah small with a  sparse  population. 4.8  million more than that  in any decent  city worldwide.

8 minutes ago, bodga said:

Yeah small with a  sparse  population. 4.8  million more than that  in any decent  city worldwide.

Australia is also sparse. Bit the majority are in cities.

 

Same as nz. Ever been in traffic in auckland? Its not sparse.

 

So how is auckland comparing to other comparible cities.

 

1. Auckland has zero covid. Next?

53 minutes ago, J Town said:

Yeah, borders being closed can hardly be considered resumed life without restrictions.

Unfortunate the Kiwi's don't rule the earth, so they can only work on what they have responsibility for.

8 minutes ago, samran said:

Unfortunate the Kiwi's don't rule the earth, so they can only work on what they have responsibility for.

True, heaven forbid anyone actually congratulating the powers of nz actually identifying, containing, fixing anything that hurts and kills their citizens.

 

How dare they. Noooo, cant have that.

1 hour ago, Logosone said:

Yes, not testing at all certainly results in low numbers. Great job.

? New Zealand has tested more per million population than Germany, Sweden and South Korea. Currently they've tested 58,954 per 1 million pop

 

EDIT: Just picked up you were talking about Thailand not NZ, in which case I agree!

5 minutes ago, Sujo said:

True, heaven forbid anyone actually congratulating the powers of nz actually identifying, containing, fixing anything that hurts and kills their citizens.

 

How dare they. Noooo, cant have that.

Indeed. I suspect it as was Jack Adrern rather than Jacinda , people would be a lot less critical. Her opponents attempted to paint her as young and inexperienced, and she's passed two massive national challenges with flying colours.

 

Now she has done so, they'll try and lessen that achievement with whataboutisms about border issyes, and statements such as 'it is only 5 million people'.  

2 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

? New Zealand has tested more per million population than Germany, Sweden and South Korea. Currently they've tested 58,954 per 1 million pop

He was talking about Thailand...

1 hour ago, Logosone said:

Yes, not testing at all certainly results in low numbers. Great job.

Rubbish testing has been done in numerous cities in Thailand.

1 hour ago, Mbaki said:

Rubbish testing has been done in numerous cities in Thailand.

Thailand is one of the countries that has tested the least, with Nigeria and Lesotho.

 

For rather unsurprising reasons Nigeria and Lesotho also have amazing Covid19 figures.

 

Not really a mystery.

3 hours ago, J Town said:

Yeah, borders being closed can hardly be considered resumed life without restrictions.

And especially in a country that relies so much on international tourism. I'm sure a lot of bankrupt people are not dancing.

 

 

29 minutes ago, Logosone said:

Thailand is one of the countries that has tested the least, with Nigeria and Lesotho.

 

For rather unsurprising reasons Nigeria and Lesotho also have amazing Covid19 figures.

 

Not really a mystery.

Let's compare testing statistics to date:

 

New Zealand: Pop: 4.8 million: tests: 294,848

Thailand: Pop: 69.8 million: tests: 468,175

 

So going by officially revealed statistics, New Zealand has tested, per capita, nearly 10x as many as Thailand.

7 hours ago, Logosone said:

Thailand is one of the countries that has tested the least, with Nigeria and Lesotho.

 

For rather unsurprising reasons Nigeria and Lesotho also have amazing Covid19 figures.

 

Not really a mystery.

Different sites different information, but Thailand has still faired better than other countries infection wise.

10 hours ago, Sujo said:

Australia is also sparse. Bit the majority are in cities.

 

Same as nz. Ever been in traffic in auckland? Its not sparse.

 

So how is auckland comparing to other comparible cities.

 

1. Auckland has zero covid. Next?

Pop.1.6  million, nothing, its  also in the middle  of  nowhere not  surrounded by other countries, there are a  whole  host of reasons its been easier for them, the Uk has 38  million tourists a  year, NZ  3.7  million

1 hour ago, Mbaki said:

Different sites different information, but Thailand has still faired better than other countries infection wise.

You don't know how Thailand has fared because Rwanda has tested more than Thailand. Compare New Zealand's testing to Thailands:

 

 

9 hours ago, Logosone said:

Thailand is one of the countries that has tested the least, with Nigeria and Lesotho.

 

For rather unsurprising reasons Nigeria and Lesotho also have amazing Covid19 figures.

 

Not really a mystery.

In fact, we do know that Thailand remains relatively unaffected by Covid 19. We know that because Thailand has what is called the 30 baht program that allows virtually free medical care in government funded hospitals. These hospitals are not being overrun with ill patients.

And if you want to look at low testing rates, just consider Japan: a lower rate than Thailand's but the citizenry universally wears masks and voluntarily practices social distancing. Covid19 has barely caused even a ripple there.

12 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

In fact, we do know that Thailand remains relatively unaffected by Covid 19. We know that because Thailand has what is called the 30 baht program that allows virtually free medical care in government funded hospitals. These hospitals are not being overrun with ill patients.

And if you want to look at low testing rates, just consider Japan: a lower rate than Thailand's but the citizenry universally wears masks and voluntarily practices social distancing. Covid19 has barely caused even a ripple there.

Dont buy it, reckon the main reason is "discipline" in some countries like NZ and Japan, but  Thailand, there is  no discipline, climate? who know's also out in the  villages life is all outdoors,  not huddled  together like europeans in one room on dark nights etc. Much of their  housing is  also open to the elements in Thailand, plenty of fresh air changes unlike europe where sealed rooms are the norm.

Id  like to see when its  all blown over some good  research into why/how countries fared  better than others.

11 hours ago, Mbaki said:

Rubbish testing

Thats  probably  correct????

19 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

In fact, we do know that Thailand remains relatively unaffected by Covid 19. We know that because Thailand has what is called the 30 baht program that allows virtually free medical care in government funded hospitals. These hospitals are not being overrun with ill patients.

And if you want to look at low testing rates, just consider Japan: a lower rate than Thailand's but the citizenry universally wears masks and voluntarily practices social distancing. Covid19 has barely caused even a ripple there.

You  might know its relatively unaffected but you dont know  why, because if you did the whole world would be  following Thailand.

troll post removed

1 hour ago, johnpetersen said:

In fact, we do know that Thailand remains relatively unaffected by Covid 19. We know that because Thailand has what is called the 30 baht program that allows virtually free medical care in government funded hospitals. These hospitals are not being overrun with ill patients.

And if you want to look at low testing rates, just consider Japan: a lower rate than Thailand's but the citizenry universally wears masks and voluntarily practices social distancing. Covid19 has barely caused even a ripple there.

This doesnt look like a ripple.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Health/wireStory/wave-infections-threatens-collapse-japan-hospitals-70220083

1 hour ago, johnpetersen said:

In fact, we do know that Thailand remains relatively unaffected by Covid 19. We know that because Thailand has what is called the 30 baht program that allows virtually free medical care in government funded hospitals. These hospitals are not being overrun with ill patients.

And if you want to look at low testing rates, just consider Japan: a lower rate than Thailand's but the citizenry universally wears masks and voluntarily practices social distancing. Covid19 has barely caused even a ripple there.

No, of course we don't know that. We don't know because Thailand has done hardly any testing, so it's simply impossible to know how many people died of Covid19 in Thailand.

 

The notion that hospitals are automatically "overrun" in countries with Covid19 is simply wrong. 

 

The hospitalisation rate for Covid 19 in one of the worst affected countries, the USA, was 4.6 per 100,000.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6915e3.htm

 

It is of course even lower in a country with a younger population. One wouldn't necessarily notice Covid19 by hospitalisations.

 

Of course Japan is a similar story, hardly any testing done there either. So we just don't know the extent of Covid19 in Japan, just like with Thailand. They didn't do mandatory lockdowns either in Japan, people still went to party in nightclubs in April when the West was locked down.

 

But of course if you don't test it will look like there's hardly any cases, certainly.

1 hour ago, Logosone said:

You don't know how Thailand has fared because Rwanda has tested more than Thailand. Compare New Zealand's testing to Thailands:

 

 

Considering Rwanda is 61 days behind Thailand in their testing when most other countries are winding down and lifting restrictions it is a mute point to compare a country still battling the virus in large numbers to one moving towards recovery.

1 hour ago, bodga said:

Thats  probably  correct????

Yes in New Zealand ????