TIL Desk/World/Wellington/ New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that the country would return to near-normality after the recovery of its last coronavirus patient and a total relaxation of social restrictions. On Monday midnight, the country will move to alert level 1 (level 4 being total lockdown), removing almost all restrictions previously enforced to control the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our goal was to come out the other side as quickly and as safely as we could. To a place where our borders continue to be our first line of defence, but all current rules and restrictions on businesses and services are essentially lifted,” Ardern said at a press conference. “Today, 75 days later (after the first alert level 4 lockdown was put in place), we are ready.”
All restrictions on the number of people at gatherings or funerals will be removed, as well as physical distancing rules, although this is still encouraged. All economic activity can also resume. Residents are asked to keep tracking their movements, with a diary and the use of QR codes at public businesses and services. Borders, however, remain closed to almost all non-residents.