New Zealand health officials claimed on Monday that there are no active cases of COVD-19 in the country. All domestic restrictions have been lifted and the country will not follow social distancing and there will be no limits on public gathering from Tuesday. However, as there are chances of new cases being imported into the country, borders will remain shut with some exceptions.
The last patient with COVID-19 condition was given clearance in New Zealand, making it one of the few countries in the world to declare itself coronavirus-free. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed that she danced in her living room after giving the clearance to the last patient. Ardern said that she danced with her two-year-old daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford. The daughter was caught by surprise but she joined in, having absolutely no idea why she was dancing around the lounge, Ardern said during her television address.
Ardern then announced that there will be no restriction on public and private events. She also said that retail and hospitality sectors can operate normally, and gave the green signal for all public transport to resume work.
No Fresh Cases, Last Active Case Recovers
New Zealand has not reported any fresh case in 17 days and only one person was declared as active case for the last one week. With that person having recovered, the South Pacific nation has declared itself coronavirus-free. So far the country of five-million people had 1,154 confirmed cases and 22 people lost their lives following COVID-19 pandemic.
The last patient's details have not been revealed. But reports claim that it is a woman aged 50, who is said to have contracted the virus at an Auckland nursing home.
With New Zealand moving down to Level 1 in the virus response system, nightclubs will be opened for business. Sporting events also can be held and accordingly. This weekend's Super Rugby Aotearoa competition will become the first sports event in the world to be held post coronavirus pandemic.
New Zealand followed strict lockdown measures for seven weeks. Most businesses were closed and people too strictly followed the rules and did not step out except for those working in the essential sectors.
The Health Ministry of New Zealand has said that by elimination it means eliminating chains of transmission and not eradicating the virus permanently. The last person in isolation will be discharged on June 15 and the country will mark it as elimination day of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, globally there are 7,108,915 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 406,461 deaths have been reported. USA has the highest number of cases with 2,007,449 coronavirus infections and 112,469 deaths followed by Brazil, Russia, Spain, UK and India.
