It’s close to setting its best run without a new case
New Zealand has gone 100 days without a case of Covid-19, demonstrating once again its brilliant success in how the country has dealt with the virus. The country has not recorded any cases outside of managed isolation since February 28.
It is now on the verge of beating its previous record of consecutive days without a case of community transmission. This was set last August when the country went 102 days without registering a case of Covid-19.
The Daily Mail reports that whilst there were ten new cases of coronavirus recorded since the Ministry of Health’s last update, these were all recent returnees to the country from abroad who are now all in managed isolation. These cases brought the total number of active cases in New Zealand to 22.
There’s even more good news for the Kiwis as well, as the government there have secured 1 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowing to be vaccinated this month. She had held off from being vaccinated herself until the rollout to the general population was well under way.
However with the announcement of the new doses, she will get vaccinated herself as a role model to others.
In May, Ardern had said that she wanted to “prioritise those who are most vulnerable or who are most exposed, but also demonstrate I consider it a priority and to be safe.”
The news is very welcome for the country. Whilst New Zealand has been extremely successful in stopping community transmission and spread of the virus, registering just 2,682 cases and 26 deaths since the start of the pandemic, it has struggled more with its vaccine rollout.
New Zealand currently sits at 119th in the world for first doses distributed per capita.
The country’s Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said: “This is great news and reassuring to see our vaccine supply ramping up.
“It shows our plan for what is the biggest and most complex logistical undertaking ever by the health system is on track.
“The drops will enable us to continue vaccinating Groups 1,2, and 3, while giving us the certainty needed to start the general population rollout as planned.”
