Recently, New Zealand announced the end of its COVID-19 outbreak, with no active cases remaining. The nation's residents take great pride in their young Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, whose leadership has been exemplary. In response, the government is lifting all restrictions except border closures.
As reported by The New Zealand Herald on June 9, 2020, the country celebrated its triumph over COVID-19. The previous day, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the return to Alert Level 1—the lowest level on the COVID-19 scale.
New Zealand had reported no new cases for nearly 20 days, and now has zero active cases. With an impressive record of just 1,504 cases and 22 deaths, the country stands out globally as a top performer, achieving this without waiting for treatments or vaccines.
Prime Minister Ardern confirmed the lifting of all epidemic-related measures, with only border closures remaining until global conditions improve. For context, the worldwide COVID-19 toll stood at over 7.2 million cases, more than 410,000 deaths, and 3.4 million recoveries at the time.
Kiwis are thrilled to resume normal life, attending sports events, concerts, bars, and nightclubs once more. Families are especially relieved to reconnect with those over 70. Businesses, hard-hit by the pandemic, are poised for a strong rebound.
New Zealand is back in full swing, with widespread praise for the 39-year-old Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, often hailed as a global example of effective leadership. As noted by Le Temps in March 2019, her political career is exemplary, and her handling of the COVID-19 crisis further underscores New Zealand's outstanding governance.
