New Zealand to Ease Lockdown Restrictions in a Week
- Strict measures stopped ‘uncontrolled explosion’ of Covid-19
- Move to Level 3 will help restart local economy, Ardern says
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New Zealand will partially relax nationwide lockdown restrictions in a week as the decline in new coronavirus cases indicates its strategy of elimination is working.
“Going hard and early to stamp out the virus, backed by an effort of 5 million New Zealanders to break the chain of transmission, means together we have helped stop the uncontrolled explosion of Covid-19 in New Zealand,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday in Wellington. “On the recommendation of the director general of health, who is confident there is currently no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand, today we are able to take a balanced approach in transitioning through alert levels and restarting our economy.”