New Zealand marks 100 days without coronavirus

NZ has been hailed as an example of how to eliminate the virus, with Jacinda Ardern launching her ‘COVID election’ campaign this weekend.

New Zealand has marked 100 days on Sunday with no recorded cases of the coronavirus in the community but health officials warned there was no room for complacency.

The milestone came a day after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern launching her re-election campaign in the country’s “COVID election”.

There are still 23 active cases but all were detected at the border when entering the country and are being held in managed isolation facilities.

“Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can’t afford to be complacent,” director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield said.

RELATED: Ad hints NZ travel bubble could be years away

While there are cases in hotel quarantine, no community transmission means life has returned to normal for New Zealanders. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images.

“We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand.”

New Zealand, with a population of five million, has won widespread praise for its effective handling of the coronavirus since closing its borders on March 19.

The World Health Organisation has hailed the country as an example to others for having “successfully eliminated community transmission”.

Since the first patient was diagnosed in February, there have been 1,219 confirmed cases of the virus in New Zealand with the last case of community transmission recorded on May 1.

As a result, New Zealanders are enjoying a near-normal, pre-coronavirus lifestyle with no social distancing and spectators allowed at sports and cultural events, but with the border strictly controlled and all arrivals required to spend 14 days in quarantine.

The government has maintained the prospect of a second wave remains a possibility and is pushing for all households to keep emergency supply kits including masks.

RELATED: Jacinda named most eloquent leader

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks at the Labour Party 2020 election campaign launch yesterday. Picture: Hannah Peters/Getty Images.

JACINDA ARDERN LAUNCHES ‘COVID ELECTION’ PLAN

New Zealand’s milestone fell a day after Ms Ardern launched her bid for re-election, promising to boost the economy and jobs.

“When people ask, is this a COVID election, my answer is yes, it is,” she told supporters at the launch in Auckland.

If elected in September she pledged to spend $287 million to get 40,000 New Zealanders back into jobs by giving subsidies to businesses that employ out-of work people.

Ms Ardern said while the coronavirus pandemic had impacted New Zealand’s economy they were in much better shape than Australia.

“There is no costless response to COVID (but) we went into COVID with lower debt relative to GDP than almost any other nation,” she said.

“And we look to come out in a better position than Australia, the UK, Canada and the US.”