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New Zealand Moves To End Lockdown After Last Coronavirus Patient Recovers

New Zealand Moves To End Lockdown After Last Coronavirus Patient Recovers

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country had 'eliminated' transmission of the virus

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

New Zealand is to completely end their coronavirus lockdown restrictions after the last person with the virus recovered, meaning that they have no active cases.

That means that - as well as having no active cases - they've not reported any new cases for 17 days now, either.

Which means that the health authorities have agreed that the country can return to normal once again.

The final patient in New Zealand was a woman in her 50s, but she then recorded no symptoms for 48 hours and was therefore declared recovered.

The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, agreed today that the country can move to a level one alert. That means that basically everything can take place once again.

PA

Remember weddings, funerals, and pubs?

Well, those can now operate once again with completely no restrictions.

The only thing that will stay the same is that New Zealand's borders remain closed.

Jacinda Ardern also advised that people should keep an eye out for where they've been so that contact tracing can be done if a few cases of the virus return.

She said: "Now under level 1 you can go back to your place of work,

"'If we get one or two cases in the future - which will remain possible for some time to come due to the global situation and nature of the virus - we need to shut down those cases fast. The last thing ... we want to do is move up the alert level system again."

New Zealand endured a strict four week lockdown in March once the virus started to rear its head in the country, they closed the borders down on March 19.

Then, the government put in place a four stage alert system in order to relieve the measures safely and slowly as the infection rate dropped.

PA

New Zealand's Director General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, said: "Having no active cases for the first time since February 28 is certainly a significant mark in our journey but as we've previously said, ongoing vigilance against COVID-19 will continue to be essential,

Michael Baker, a Professor of Health at the University of Otago, added that whilst the news was positive, it represents "only the first battle in what will be a long-term war against this virus."

He added: "This risk will rise again in New Zealand as we gradually increase the numbers of incoming travellers.

"It will also rise during the coming winter when coronaviruses are more transmissible."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: New Zealand, Science, World News, Interesting