New Zealand, government abandons zero Covid target due to delta variable

New Zealand, government abandons zero Covid target due to delta variable

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, admitted that the “Covid Zero” strategy initially adopted by her government had failed to stop the epidemic, which is particularly spreading in Auckland, declaring that a “new approach” was needed at this point. The focus will be on vaccinations rather than shutdowns.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, admitted that the “Covid Zero” strategy initially adopted by her government had failed to stop the epidemic, which is particularly spreading in Auckland, declaring therefore that a “new approach” was needed at this point: the responsibility lies in the variable spread delta, which is much more contagious than both alpha and the original strain of the virus. According to the executive, the new intervention model should take into account vaccination rates and allow movement restrictions to be eased.

For months, New Zealand has enjoyed strong protection thanks to strict precision The closing of the borders allowed New Zealanders to lead a semi-normal life. However, in August, a case of variable delta emerged in Auckland and strict measures had to be taken to restrict travel; The two million residents of the country’s largest city have been on lockdown for seven weeks and the lifting of restrictions only came last month.

Jacinda Ardern admitted that the high degree of infectivity of the delta variant is represented by A tipping point and we have to live with it: “Even with the long-term restrictions that we’ve imposed, it’s clear we haven’t reached zero.” Ardern announced that she would not abandon her strategy immediately, but that Auckland’s containment would be mitigated even if the number of new cases did not decrease, insisting that this change – which represents an important step towards the “zero Covid” goal – is made possible by the sharp increase in the number of cases. Persons who have been vaccinated. “Getting rid of the virus was important because we didn’t have a vaccine, and now we have a vaccine, so we can start changing the way we do things. We have more options and good reasons to be optimistic about the future, but we don’t have to make the changes. Things are in a hurry.” The capital will remain confined, but every week the government will study the possibility of lifting some measures.

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