New Zealand has had no new coronavirus cases for the past 100 days.

The World Health Organization has praised New Zealand's strict handling of the coronavirus crisis as an exemplary model. New Zealand has not recorded a single new case of coronavirus in the past 100 days, but it has no plans to open its borders.

Person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus has been stopped in New Zealand for 100 days. Although no new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the country in the past 100 days, New Zealand's Ministry of Health officials have warned against laxity in adhering to health protocols.

According to official statistics, there are currently 23 people infected with the coronavirus in the country who came from abroad and were sent to quarantine centers after testing positive for the coronavirus.

"100 days without a new case is a significant milestone in the pandemic, but we all know we cannot afford to be complacent. We have seen in other countries how quickly the virus has re-emerged in places that were previously under control. We must be ready to act quickly if we see new cases," said Ashley Bloomfield, one of New Zealand's chief health officers.

New Zealand quickly took strict measures to prevent the further spread of the virus and closed its borders on March 15 after recording several cases of coronavirus in the country.

Two days later, the government declared a complete lockdown, a measure that was considered extremely strict by international standards for dealing with the pandemic. From that date on, only grocery stores, pharmacies, and hospitals were allowed to operate.

At the same time, the government succeeded in conveying its message to the people in the right way, attracting people's attention and cooperation by continuously sending messages about the priority of health for citizens, holding daily news conferences, and directly addressing the community, especially children.

The capacity of coronavirus testing laboratories has also increased rapidly, and health authorities have managed to keep the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 low by conducting many tests and extensive tracing and quarantine of infected people. The country has recorded a total of about 1,600 cases of coronavirus and 22 deaths from COVID-19 infections.

The fact that New Zealand is an island country also played a role in its successful containment of the coronavirus. Border control was easier for the country than for countries with long land borders. The low population density was another big advantage. The coronavirus is transmitted from person to person, and the more dispersed the population, the slower it spreads.

In mid-June, the government of the South Pacific island nation officially declared New Zealand free of the coronavirus and lifted all restrictions. However, New Zealand's borders are still closed to almost all foreign nationals. Travelers who are allowed to enter New Zealand must quarantine for 14 days.

The World Health Organization has described the New Zealand government's crisis management as an exemplary model.

Source: DW