New Zealand announces end of restrictions and abandons “zero-Covid” policy

So far, New Zealand has adopted Zero Covid strategy. But with Delta Variant, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged that “the harsh reality is that the Variant Delta is here and isn’t going away any time soon.” Jacinda Ardern said that from December 2, New Zealand will adopt a new response to Covid-19 aimed at containing the delta variant rather than trying to eliminate it entirely.

“While no country has succeeded in completely eradicating the delta variant, New Zealand is in a better position than most countries to deal with it,” she explained, adding: “So far, his government has aimed to completely eradicate the virus, so – the so-called ‘zero policy’. -Covid-19″ with strict containment measures, strict contact tracing and strict border controls. In New Zealand, the disease has killed only 40 people out of five million people, but Increased pressure to finish closing It has been imposed on Auckland since the delta variable was discovered there in August.

Jacinda Ardern originally planned to change policy once the vaccination rate in the country reached 90%, but eventually reopened when the vaccination level is currently around 83%.

Strict rules remain for international arrivals

The new system looks like traffic lights, with green effectively indicating no control over the virus, orange requiring masks to be worn in certain places and red allowing businesses to remain open only to vaccinated customers and observing social distancing. The prime minister said Auckland would initially be placed in red, adding that authorities were still rating other areas.

Auckland is currently isolated from the rest of New Zealand, with roadblocks set to be lifted on December 15. Strict quarantine rules for international arrivals will remain in place, but Jacinda Ardern has pledged to ease them early next year.