New Zealand Lifts Coronavirus Restrictions

New Zealand became the first country to have no active coronavirus cases and lifted the lockdown they had in place to ensure the safety of the population.

The country reported no new cases of the contagious Covid19 for more than 2 weeks and when the last person infected with the disease recovered, the government moved to a level one on their alert system, the lowest of a four-tier system they have in place.

Under the new rules, there is no requirement of social distancing and public gatherings are also allowed, however, borders are going to stay closed for foreigners and strict measures would be put in place for anyone travelling in and out of the country.

New Zealand first went into lockdown on March 25 and immediately implemented a four-stage alert system. The country was put under a complete lockdown with schools and other educational institutions along with major businesses were closed and people were to remain inside their homes. Only some essential businesses were kept open with strict guidelines.

Under the new rules, all schools and workplaces can open. Weddings, funerals and public transport can resume without any restrictions. Social distancing is no longer required but will be encouraged.

However, the pandemic is far from over as worldwide cases have surged close to 7.5 million with around 418,000 victims. The numbers are still increasing exponentially in certain regions while the world is waiting for a possible vaccine.