New Zealand dropped all restrictions against coronavirus disease (COVID-19)—except border controls—after its health officials declared the country “virus-free.”
According to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, there are no longer any known and active cases of COVID-19 remaining in the country—noting that its last patient, a woman in her 50s, has been discharged after recovering from the virus.
The country has been commended by experts and the World Health Organization for her early response against the pandemic, implementing draconian measures at the start of the outbreak. It only had 1,154 cases and 22 deaths in total.
READ ALSO: New Zealand plans to lift all restrictions next week after successful fight against COVID-19
Ardern added that their success is also credited to the discipline and cooperation of the residents, with Google data reporting that a lot of New Zealanders have massively reduced their movements as compared to Australia, Britain, and the US.
“Our collective results I think speak for ourselves. This was what the sacrifice of our team of five million was for – to keep one another safe and to keep one another well,” she said.
She said that starting June 8, residents will finally live a normal life as the government abandons all social distancing and mass gathering limitations across the country.
Its international borders, however, will remain closed and that they are yet to open it as Ardern said it is so far their best line of defense. Only its citizens and immediate families are allowed to fly into the country, provided they undergo two weeks of mandatory quarantine.
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