New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that New Zealand will lift almost all COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday.
New Zealand has no active cases currently, and no one has tested positive in the past 17 days. Further, no one has been hospitalized for COVID-19 in 12 days. It has been 40 days since the last community transmission.
Ardern also noted that elimination of COVID-19 is a sustained effort. She stated:
We almost certainly will see cases here again, and I do want to say that again—we will almost certainly see cases here again. And that is not a sign that we have failed; it is a reality of this virus. But if, and when, that occurs, we have to make sure—and we are—that we are prepared.
Travelers entering New Zealand must quarantine for 14 days upon entry, and Ardern continues to encourage social distancing. Further, Arden encouraged businesses to post QR codes so citizens are able to track where they have been with New Zealand’s COVID Tracer app.
The New Zealand government is now turning their focus to jobs and economic recovery.
