New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has lifted all restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 after she declared the country no longer has any COVID-19 case.
Ardern said she is confident the country has halted the spread of COVID-19 but said it would “almost certainly” see more cases in the future.
She said public and private events can go on without restrictions, retail and hospitality sectors can operate normally, and all public transport can resume.
Around 1,500 people contracted coronavirus in New Zealand with just 22 deaths.
It has been 17 days since the last new case was reported with 40,000 tested in that time.
Monday also marked the first time since late February that there have been no active cases.
“We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort,” she told a news conference.
“I do want to say again, we will almost certainly see cases here again, and that is not a sign that we have failed, it is a reality of this virus. But if and when that occurs we have to make sure, and we are, that we are prepared”,Ardern assured.
