WELLINGTON: New Zealand will lift all lockdown restrictions as the country declared that there were no longer any active cases remaining.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the country will move to its lowest alert level by midnight after which all restrictions within the country will be lifted and only borders will remain closed.
Public and private events, retail, hospitality, public transport, and domestic travel will all be allowed without any restrictions. As per reports, New Zealand has no active COVID-19 cases after the country’s final patient was given the all-clear and released from isolation.
“Having no active cases for the first time since 28th February is certainly a significant mark in our journey but, as we have previously said, ongoing vigilance against COVID-19 will continue to be essential,” health department director-general Ashley Bloomfield said.
New Zealand has won praise for its handling of the pandemic, which involved a strict seven-week lockdown that ended last month after the virus was contained.
The South Pacific nation, with a population of five million, has had 1,154 confirmed cases and 22 deaths. There have been no new infections for 17 days and, until Monday, just one active case for more than a week.
“The remaining case has been symptom-free for 48 hours and is regarded as recovered. The person has now been released from isolation,” he said.
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