world

New Zealand says coronavirus eliminated and life can resume without restrictions

36 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Thomson Reuters 2020.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

36 Comments
Login to comment

Excellent work.

A leader who is very popular in her own country and is gaining respect around the world.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

But you better keep your borders closed!

Otherwise you will be overrun by imported cases.

11 ( +16 / -5 )

Competent leadership, strict measures enacted in a timely manner and a population that apparantly worked together.

Let's hope this is truly a success for them,and remains that way.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

New Zealand did a good job, no doubt about it, but it is unrealistic to say other countries should have followed the same model. Each country has to deal with the pandemic in its own way. Different cultures react in different ways.

New Zealand has a population of only about 5 million, roughly the same as Yokohama. So you can see what a massive difference the size of a population makes.

Also, New Zealanders went along with the strict lockdown, whereas many Americans did not. Remember the armed protesters in Michigan.

For New Zealand the real battle now begins, restoring its economy and sooner or later, opening its borders.

Good luck.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Globally it is not and will not be eliminated. If we are lucky it will mutate to something weaker. If we aren't lucky, then we won't be.

But I am not saying to keep borders closed. I am saying we all better just get used to this while we keep on living our lives. Life is risk.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Great news. Especially given winter is the worst season for the spread of things like the flu. I'm sure if they hadn't locked down like they did it would've spread as fast as it has in US. Saved a lot of lives. Wish I could travel there now.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

The Kiwis must have impeccable hygiene habits. Take note Mr Aso. Well done to our friends in new Zealand!

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Agree with Monty. Keep borders closed to countries still reporting active cases or whose borders are open with countries that have active cases.

New Zealand has done the hard yards and does not want to risk having to do it all again. Well done Kiwis!

6 ( +11 / -5 )

So you can say, nz drastically overreacted

No, you can’t.

To look at places which avoided the worst of this pandemic for reasons not yet understood as a template is very reckless. Japan as a whole dodged this bullet but other countries did not and the reasons are not yet clear.

Are you saying Okinawa had no social distancing? I don’t know if this is true.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

and NZ is still on the list of countries whose citizens who are banned from coming into Japan.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Congratulations! Well done. It must be gratifying to have a national leader that is competent and get results...

We got results too in the US - just not good ones - a large increase in disinfectant poisonings from those that unfortunately followed the medical advice of our President...

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Where are you getting this certainty from?

He's making it up to push an agenda. At least he's not pretending to be a Kenyan with 5 sisters anymore....

4 ( +6 / -2 )

..re you saying Okinawa had no social distancing? I don’t know if this is true.

Beyond a few stickers on benchs and in check out lines social distancing hasnt been enforced or followed anywhere in japan.

>

4 ( +5 / -1 )

New Zealand managed the virus threat as well as could be done. People took it seriously and followed the guidelines. Shockingly many people here in NYC never really got on board, and for the usual childish reasons accepted by US society: "Masks? Nobody tells me what to do!" It follows cultural brilliance like, " Eat healthy and exercise? Nobody tells me what to do!". The cost of ignorance can be measured in lives lost.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

...and NZ is still on the list of countries whose citizens who are banned from coming into Japan.

for New Zealand’s saké, they shouldn’t even fight that

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Until the border reopens or there’s a vaccine. But the border cannot stay closed indefinitely without massive tourism losses for the economy. Australia also. And there’s the dilemma.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

We did Good. A TEAM of 5 million. Brilliant leadership + a stoic belief in The Big Picture.

Daily concise briefings, no polit speak, just hard nosed people speak.

Our Prime Minister along with The Director of Health up front, 7 days a week at 1pm.

Facts, encouragement and empathy.

These two people, in my opinion should receive our Highest Awards our country can give.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Just don't open border to foreign visitors and New Zealand will be fine.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Well done to NZ. They acted early and decisively, now the virus is gone. Meanwhile, in many nations it is only just starting to rip through, after their governments have done almost nothing to protect citizens. This deadly virus is infecting record numbers week by week, the worst is yet to come.

Learn from New Zealand.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Hundreds of thousands of Japanese are this evening drinking and eating outside their homes-social distancing not being thought about anymore.

The positives are the increasing heat and soon to occur torrential rain...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

People need to realize it may well not have been Ardern's strong arm tactics most responsible for any success against Covid 19. This started in their summer, it is now their fall and it may be cliche now but WINTER IS COMING. Guess when cold viruses are at their peak in places outside the tropics.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

and NZ is still on the list of countries whose citizens who are banned from coming into Japan.

Hey, they're non-Japanese! Can't have them coming in!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I will wait patiently until WHO declares them fit to receive fresh shipments from China ...of whatever (products, people, and another strain of the virus...etc).

WHO is the main arbiter of this virus?...No?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

WHO is the main arbiter of this virus?...No? My answer is ...Yes! The WHO will soon be sending confusing messages and changing its mind. " No risk of human to human transmission" " Flight restrictions are useless" "China did a great job by alerting the world about this DEADLY virus". There was an online petition for Mr Tedros to resign back in February. There were over over ONE MILLION signatures and yet this man does not have the dignity to resign. He is responsible (together with China) for the deaths and suffering of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Science. Wins.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It certainly was helpful to have a small isolated population and the ability to stop inflows from other countries. Hopefully they can find a way to still manage some tourism going forward.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No way you can know that the worst is yet to come, sport. While the infection rate worldwide is still increasing, the large increases are mostly coming from a handful of countries with large populations ( Brazil, the US, India, Russia ).

Where are you getting this certainty from?

The trajectories show things worldwide are getting worse, not better. Its not rocket science. The past few days have seen the highest recorded infections worldwide since the pandemic began.

The world should be doing everything they can to help places where Covid 19 is far from peaking - central and South America, Africa for example. WHO should be putting resources in faster. Nations like NZ are an example of how this awful disease should be treated from the start. Unlike the complete train-wrecks that are the UK and US where people simply didn't take things seriously (borders, early testing, mandatory quarantines etc). I mean, the UK is only NOW putting in place mandatory quarantine for arrivals. Well, just look at the results there.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

They don't really do autopsies in Japan so how would we know to true rate?

Hearing of funeral parlors being overwhelmed would be a true indication. That doesn't seem to be happening.

The Corona numbers are undoubtedly greater, but the number of fatalities are not as great as predicted/expected.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

“But I am not saying to keep borders closed. I am saying we all better just get used to this while we keep on living our lives. Life is risk.”

Precisely. In that sense, lockdown merely delays the inevitable

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Christopher SmithToday  07:00 pm JST

The Kiwis must have impeccable hygiene habits. Take note Mr Aso. Well done to our friends in new Zealand!

Less now but you still see people barefoot in the supermarket. Maybe the corona virus stopped that.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

This deadly virus is infecting record numbers week by week, the worst is yet to come.

No way you can know that the worst is yet to come, sport. While the infection rate worldwide is still increasing, the large increases are mostly coming from a handful of countries with large populations ( Brazil, the US, India, Russia ).

Where are you getting this certainty from?

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Japan has also not done extensive testing or contact tracing like NZ has, so there is a far less clear picture and control in Japan

Not sure I agree, but anyway, my point is in countries/ areas with lower population density once inward travel is reduced or stopped its not difficult or surprising a virus is eliminated. Hiroshima, Okinawa, Iwate etc implemented far less measures and didnt break the constitution unlike it appears nz yet are in a similar or better position

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Okinawa hasnt had a case for a month without lockdowns or social distancing.

The Chugoku region too

So you can say, nz drastically overreacted

-5 ( +9 / -14 )

HOW ???.PLS GIVE details.

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites