New Zealand Is a Success Story
The country has reached an important Covid-19 milestone
“New Zealand eliminates Covid-19” reads the headline of a new article published in the journal, The Lancet. Writer Sophie Cousins reports:
An aggressive approach has enabled New Zealand to end community transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
New Zealand recorded its first day of no new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) early this week, more than a month after its strict lockdown began.
At the time of publication, New Zealand had recorded fewer than 1,500 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and 20 deaths. On March 23, a month after the country had recorded its first case, New Zealand committed to an elimination strategy. A few days later, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a strict national lockdown when it only had 102 cases and zero deaths. Her swift decision making won international praise, including from WHO.
The country implemented a full lockdown that included school closures, the shutdown of nonessential businesses, a ban on social gatherings, and severe travel restrictions. This allowed them to do widespread testing, contact tracing, and surveillance.
You can read the full article in The Lancet here.
And below is a good profile of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
