Coronavirus Update: Virus 'Eliminated' In New Zealand, Prime Minister Lifting All Lockdown Measures

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that coronavirus had been “eliminated” in the country and would begin lifting all internal social and economic restrictions. However, border restrictions will remain in place while most countries continue fighting the pandemic.

Lifting restrictions means all businesses will be able to return to pre-pandemic operations and large social gatherings are once again permitted.

“While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone ... Thank you, New Zealand,” Ardern said at a press conference on Monday.

“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.

“Not only have we protected New Zealanders’ health, we now have a head start on our economic recovery.”

Officials are aware of the potential for another spike in cases, especially once border restrictions are lifted, but said they feel the country is equipped to handle it.

“The lockdown was very effective but also very hard on many people and businesses, so we should be doing everything we can to avoid another one,” Shaun Hendy told Axios. Hendy is head of Te Pūnaha Matatini, a research group advising New Zealand’s government on how to combat COVID-19.

“Only as a last resort would we recommend locking down again, but we have the advantage now that we know a short, sharp lockdown is very effective against COVID-19,” Hendy said.

As of Monday, New Zealand had 1,154 confirmed cases and 22 deaths from coronavirus.

Economic and social lockdowns were imposed on New Zealand on March 19 as the pandemic was rapidly spreading around the world. Lockdowns were among the strictest imposed as most businesses were shuttered and only essential workers or travel was permitted. The country’s borders were also closed to all international travel so as not to risk importing more cases.

While some opponents criticized the length of the lockdown, Ardern’s response to the pandemic has largely earned her praise both in and out of New Zealand for the government’s response. She is expected to be reelected to a second term in September's election.

The Atlantic’s Uri Friedman called Ardern “the most effective leader on the planet” during the pandemic.

“Her leadership style is one of empathy in a crisis that tempts people to fend for themselves,” Friedman said in an April 19 article. “Her messages are clear, consistent, and somehow simultaneously sobering and soothing. And her approach isn’t just resonating with her people on an emotional level. It is also working remarkably well.”

This stood in contrast to leaders like U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, who were both hesitant to impose restrictions and pushed to reopen the countries sooner than experts advised. The U.S. and Brazil have the highest number of confirmed cases in the world.

As of Monday, over 1.9 million confirmed cases and over 118,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S. In Brazil, there are nearly 700,000 confirmed cases and over 37,000 deaths from the pandemic.