Rules lifted as NZ is declared free of coronavirus

Restrictions will be lifted as authorities announce the 17th day of no new cases in addition to the return to health of the last remaining case.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

New Zealand will move to the final stage of coronavirus lockdown and mostly normal lives from midnight tonight, after Kiwi health authorities announced that the country is free of coronavirus.

Speaking at a press conference, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the move to alert level 1 signified the elimination of COVID-19 “for now”.

"We will almost certainly see cases here again. That is not a sign we have failed," Ms Ardern said.

However, Ms Ardern congratulated the “team of five million” on achieving “something remarkable”.

The decision means that restrictions will be removed on all events such as funerals, hospitality and public transport. Kiwis will be able to travel wherever they chose, and while encouraging them to do so, Ms Ardern asked them to keep a diary of any travels.

However, in response to questions regarding Australian travel, Ms Ardern said NZ would “move cautiously”, pointing to the “half dozen cases” and evidence of community transmission in Australia over the weekend.

On Monday morning, NZ’s Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield announced the 17th straight day of no new cases, in addition to the return to health of the remaining last case, an Auckland woman in her 50s.

NZ, which has a population of five million, reported its first case of COVID-19 on February 28. The country’s total number of confirmed cases stands at 1154 with 22 deaths.

In a statement, Dr Bloomsfield said the woman’s recovery was something the “rest of New Zealand can take heart in”.

“Having no active cases for the first time since February 28 is certainly a significant mark in our journey but as we’ve previously said, ongoing vigilance against COVID-19 will continue to be essential,” Dr Bloomsfield said.

The release of the Auckland woman from isolation marks the end of a cluster linked to St Margaret’s Hospital & Rest Home in Auckland.

However, despite the positive news, Dr Bloomsfield said “ongoing vigilance” remained vital.

“Having no active cases for the first time since February 28 is certainly a significant mark in our journey but as we’ve previously said, ongoing vigilance against COVID-19 will continue to be essential,” he said.

On March 23, when cases numbered 100 for the first time, Ms Ardern imposed a strict lockdown which would tally 51 days.

That lockdown kept Kiwis inside their houses, except for trips for health reasons or the supermarket.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to announce later Monday that New Zealand will this week move to alert Level 1, the lowest rating on its four-tier virus response system.

Under the change, international border restrictions will remain in place but the final domestic curbs — such as limits on public gatherings and mandatory social distancing — will be removed

Kiwi health authorities conducted 800 tests yesterday, bringing the country’s total number of completed tests to 294,848.