New Zealand goes 100 days without community spread of Covid-19
The country has not reported a locally transmitted case since the end of February
June 8, 2021
New Zealand on Tuesday marked 100 days without recording a locally transmitted case of Covid-19, with no new infections outside isolation zones.
The country has been among the most successful in the world at containing the spread of virus, and has so far fully vaccinated about 250,000 of its population of five million.
New Zealand last recorded local transmission of Covid-19 on February 28, according to the country’s Health Ministry.
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If the situation continues it could beat its own record for the longest period without community transmission.
Last August, New Zealand went 102 days without local transmission before an outbreak pushed the city of Auckland into a Level 3 lockdown.
New Zealand has been internationally praised for its efforts to curb the spread of the disease and has lifted almost all of its lockdown restrictions.
They were first imposed at the start of the pandemic.
The country is expected to obtain one million Pfizer vaccine doses by July.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday that she would receive her first shot at the end of next week.
"For me, it's been important that I allow those in the most at-risk group ... to be prioritised," Ms Ardern said.
"I'm choosing to be vaccinated at this point in order to play my role in demonstrating that I consider it to be absolutely safe and also really critical to keep others safe."
About 20,000 doses a day are being administered, and the Pfizer deliveries will enable that pace to increase significantly, she said.
At the peak of the inoculation programme in August and September, 50,000 doses will be administered each day, she said.
Since the outbreak began, New Zealand has reported 2,336 cases of Covid-19 and 26 deaths.
Updated: June 8, 2021 09:21 PM
