New Zealand Scraps Last of Covid Restrictions

New Zealand has ended the last of its Covid restrictions, bringing the final curtain down on one of the world’s strictest pandemic policies as the Government said the country suffered a far lower mortality rate than many other nations, Chris Lau reports for CNN.

Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said New Zealand was ending its remaining seven-day mandatory isolation rule for those who test positive for the coronavirus as well as mandatory masks in health care facilities.

New Zealand was something of a poster child for how nations could successfully fend off the coronavirus when it first hit in 2020, ordering early lockdowns and strict border measures, Lau writes.

“It has been a long road, however thanks to lots of hard work, New Zealand’s Covid-19 approach has moved from an emergency response to sustainable long-term management,” Verrall said.

Original article by Chris Lau, CNN, August 15, 2023.

Photo by Isaac Quesada.