New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern moves away from Covid elimination strategy

After 18 months of a strict “Covid zero” approach, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been forced to change her strategy.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced her country’s Covid elimination strategy will be phased out, gradually easing the restrictions in its largest city, Auckland.

Ms Ardern has overseen one of the world’s strictest responses to the pandemic, which has kept New Zealand largely Covid-free for 18 months.

But the Delta variant has challenged that record. New Zealand has recorded more than 1350 infections since the more infectious strain popped up in mid-August, and Auckland has spent the past seven weeks in lockdown.

Speaking after a meeting of her government’s cabinet today, Ms Ardern outlined a road map out of that lockdown – though it may take some time to work through the plan’s phases.

“Today, based on public health advice, cabinet confirmed its plan to transition Auckland out of current restrictions carefully and methodically, with regular check-ins to ensure we’re continuing to actively control the virus,” the Prime Minister said.

“Auckland will remain at alert level 3, but several key changes will occur.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Picture: Robert Kitchin/Getty Images

Phase one of the road map begins in less than 48 hours.

From 11:59pm on Tuesday night, outdoor gatherings with up to 10 people will be allowed in Auckland, provided participants come from no more than two households, wear masks, and keep their distance from one another while eating and drinking.

Early childhood education will restart, with groups of children also limited to 10. Parents will be required to wear masks for pick-up and drop-off.

And residents will be allowed to move around the city for recreational purposes such as fishing, hunting and going to the beach.

In phase two, retail will reopen, along with public facilities like libraries, pools, museums and zoos. The limit on outdoor gatherings will rise to 25 people.

Phase three will see the hospitality sector reopen, along with “close contact businesses” such as hair salons. Indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people will be permitted.

“We do not have a date for these (second and third) steps, but we will make an assessment of our readiness to step into them on a weekly basis, starting next Monday,” said Ms Ardern.

Auckland has been in lockdown for seven weeks. Picture: iStock

She conceded that New Zealand’s vaunted “Covid zero” strategy had failed to halt the outbreak in Auckland and a new approach was needed to deal with the “game-changer” that is the Delta variant.

“Even with the long-term restrictions we’ve had, we patently haven’t reached zero,” said the Prime Minister.

Hence the easing of restrictions, even though new case numbers have not fallen.

Ms Ardern said the Covid vaccines allowed the government to adopt a new strategy.

“Elimination was important, because we didn’t have vaccines,” she said.

“Now we do, so we can begin to change the way we do things. We have more options. And there’s good cause for us to feel optimistic about the future, but we cannot rush.

“That’s why we need to continue to contain and control the virus as much as possible, while we make our transition from a place where we only use heavy restrictions to a place where we use vaccines in everyday public health measures.”

She said the vaccines would allow New Zealand to “do things differently” in the future.

“But even then, our strategy remains: that while cases will continue, we want to control the virus, stamp out cases and prevent hospitalisations. But with vaccines we have more options on how we do that.”

Outside Auckland, the rest of New Zealand left lockdown in September and is operating under alert level 2. In those areas, the current limit of 100 people in indoor venues will be lifted.

“I know it’s frustrating for communities, such as those in the South Island that have not had a Covid case for a very long time,” Ms Ardern acknowledged.

“But it’s important to remember that the reason there have not been cases is the careful and cautious approach we have taken. We don’t want to risk unnecessary lockdowns.”