New Zealand abandons zero COVID-19 strategy | Corona virus | DW

“Elimination is important because we do not have vaccines. We do it now, so we can start changing the way we do things. We have more options and we have good reason to be optimistic about the future, but we can not rush,” he said. Prime Minister at a press conference on Monday (4.10.2021)

Despite the change, Ardern stressed the need to “control and control the virus as much as possible” for this change to be included in vaccine controls to guarantee public health.

“Vaccines mean we can do things differently in the future, but even then, our strategy is: we want to control the virus, end cases, and prevent hospital admissions as long as the cases continue. We have with vaccines. More options.” , He pointed out.

This is the first time the New Zealand government has publicly acknowledged that it is abandoning its strategy of eradicating the corona virus, which is recognized as the most successful country in the fight against the epidemic, with 4,352 infections and 27 deaths. So far.

However, authorities have not been able to control the outbreak that has plagued the city of Auckland since August, the worst with 1,314 infections since the outbreak began, 29 of them this Monday, despite seven weeks of harsh imprisonment in the city. .

The president announced that city restrictions would be phased out with the approval of groups of up to 10 people from two different families to meet on the street from midnight on Tuesday, and that childhood centers would reopen. Education.

Artern announced that 90 percent of the vaccinated population will end up in harsh prisons when they have full terms, with only 46 percent of those over the age of 12 receiving two doses and 76 percent having at least hundreds. One.

rml (efe, dpa)