New Zealand has won a battle against virus transmission: PM

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New Zealand has won the ‘battle’ to stop coronavirus spreading, PM Jacinda Ardern declares as lockdown restrictions are relaxed

  • New Zealand will move from Alert Level 4 to Level 3 of lockdown at 11:59pm  
  • Ardern said country had scored a significant victory against coronavirus spread 
  • Some businesses, takeaway food outlets and schools will be allowed to reopen 
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Sophie Tanno For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has claimed New Zealand had scored a significant victory against the spread of the coronavirus, as the country began a phased exit from lockdown.

‘There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand,’ Ardern declared on Monday. ‘We have won that battle.’

After nearly five weeks at the maximum Level Four restrictions – with only essential services operating – the country will move to Level Three late on Monday.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern briefs the media about the COVIS-19 coronavirus at the Parliament House in Wellington on April 27

That will allow some businesses, takeaway food outlets and schools to reopen.

Most of the population will still be required to remain on lockdown and avoid social interactions.  

But Ardern warned there was no certainty about when all transmission can be eliminated, allowing a return to normal life.

Everyone wants to ‘bring back the social contact that we all miss’, she said, ‘but to do it confidently we need to move slowly and we need to move cautiously.’

Ardern claimed New Zealand had scored a significant victory against the spread of the coronavirus, as the country began a phased exit from lockdown

Ardern claimed New Zealand had scored a significant victory against the spread of the coronavirus, as the country began a phased exit from lockdown

‘I will not risk the gains we’ve made in the health of New Zealanders. So if we need to remain at Level Three, we will.’ 

She insisted at the daily government briefing: ‘We are opening up the economy, but we’re not opening up people’s social lives.’ 

The easing of restrictions came as New Zealand, a nation of five million people, reported only one new case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,122 with 19 deaths.