A magic formula ... New Zealand records 100 days without Corona injuries
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Archives
New Zealand has become a subject of controversy and interest from all people around the world, especially as it celebrates 100 days without registering any cases of the emerging coronavirus.
The number of infections in this country has not exceeded 1569 people since the beginning of the outbreak in Wuhan, China, last December, and the number of deaths 22 people, while all the injured recovered.
24 people are still undergoing treatment, so how was this country of nearly 5 million people able to control the spread of the Corona virus? What is the magic recipe for that?
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a press statement, at the weekend, that the celebration of no new cases of HIV infection does not change anything for New Zealand, and the country still needs to continue managing the borders with "extreme care."
New Zealand had recorded its first cases last February, as the authorities rushed to stop the spread of the disease, by imposing a ban inside the country, closing the borders, and implementing a system to track cases and monitor those in contact with them, according to a report published by CNN.
Although no new cases were recorded in the country, the authorities are still conducting thousands of tests daily to ensure that their citizens are free of Corona, and that there is no second wave of the spread of the virus.
Ardern, she had said at the start of the crisis, was that the country's strategy was simple: "Confront hard, early."
The website of the New Zealand Ministry of Health indicated that the strategy to combat the virus does not depend on eliminating the virus only, but rather on breaking the chain of its spread, and effectively, and controlling any cases that enter the country from abroad later.
On March 19, the country closed its borders with everyone, and since then the country has followed a strict closure for a period of nearly 7 weeks, as beaches were closed, curfews on the streets, and all economic activities were banned.
On June 8, the authorities lifted the ban after they were able to stop the spread of the virus for two weeks, as no new cases were recorded.
After this date, no person is allowed to return to the country unless he is a citizen, and he must spend two weeks in approved facilities, and the authorities impose on those who return temporarily to pay more than two thousand dollars in fees.
Last Saturday, Ardern, who is very popular thanks to its success in combating Corona, launched her labor party's campaign for the upcoming legislative elections on September 19, which she called the "Covid vote."
It pledged to allocate NZ $ 311 million ($ 205 million) for employment to tackle the crisis caused by the epidemic.