Known for its quick decision to impose a nationwide Alert Level 4 Lockdown, New Zealand has finally managed to report zero new COVID-19 cases for the first time since 16 March.
According to the NZ Herald, this is the first time in almost six weeks that testing has not uncovered a single new case for the past 24 hours.
New Zealand’s Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, mentioned that he wanted to keep the current situation as it is.
Other than the piece of good news that was announced earlier today (4 May), there were also no additional death cases related to COVID-19, and the death toll remained at 20. The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand is 1,487, as recorded on the official website of New Zealand’s Ministry of Health.
Currently, there are four people who are undergoing treatment in the hospital.
“Clearly these are encouraging figures today but it is just one moment in time,” said Mr Bloomfield.
He explained that the “true test” will come later in the week after the incubation period as the nation stepped down to Alert Level 3. He also mentioned that New Zealand cannot afford to let the nation’s effort go to waste.
Since the nation had begun Alert Level 3 Lockdown on 28 April, Mr Bloomfield needed to be certain that there was no community transmission that could possibly stem from the Alert Level 3 measures. He also noted that they would be able to truly know if there are new infections due to the incubation period of COVID-19.
He was worried that the complacency displayed by the people could pose as a risk, and urged everyone to comply with the rules and remain diligent.
Understanding that “zero cases” is indeed a cause for celebration, Mr Bloomfield remarked that this result was symbolic of the effort that everyone had put in.
“This is the first day we’ve had no new cases and we want to keep it that way,” he added.
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