So what was the strategy behind New Zealand's Covid success? On 2 February, a man in the Philippines became the first person outside China to die of Covid At this point, there were no reported cases in New Zealand, but the next day, the country began banning entry to any foreigner coming from or via China. Any New Zealander returning from China had to isolate for 14 days.
As the virus spread globally, a flight ban was also extended to Iran - the origin of New Zealand's first case - and restrictions placed on anyone arriving from South Korea, northern Italy, or who was showing symptoms.
As of midnight on 16 March, everybody - including New Zealanders - had to go into self-isolation on arrival in the country, unless they were coming from the largely unaffected Pacific island nations.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said these were the strictest regulations in the world, for which she would "make no apologies". Then, a few days later, Ms Ardern took the unprecedented step of closing the borders entirely to almost all non-citizens or residents. But by mid-March it was clear the virus could not be controlled with the standard pandemic flu action plan, one of New Zealand's top epidemiologists, Prof Michael Baker, told the BBC.
A World Health Organization WHO report on the success of Wuhan's lockdown in late January made it clear the New Zealand approach should be to "throw everything at it at the start" and aim for total elimination, said Prof Baker. In late March, to prepare the public for a rapidly changing situation, New Zealand introduced a new four-stage alert system. Based on existing wildfire alerts, it would clearly indicate the current risk and the necessary social distancing measures.
The system began at level two, but on 25 March it had risen to level four. That triggered a total nationwide lockdown, with only essential services running and everyone told to stay at home, in their "bubble".
At that point New Zealand had recorded only cases and no deaths. When the UK locked down at around the same time, it had more than 6, cases and more than deaths. The UK has never closed its borders, but brought in mandatory self-isolation for all arrivals in early June. This was lifted for some countries by early July. The UK government has said that it "brought in the right measures at the right time based on scientific advice" and that border restrictions would have a negligible impact while there was already significant community transmission.
But the outcome is that we can have an isolated but very free and healthy existence. Prof Baker says officials did an "absolutely remarkable job" of implementing New Zealand's lockdown.
Even at its peak, New Zealand had only 89 cases a day. You can find out more about border entry requirements here. Starting November 1, all foreign nationals entering New Zealand need to be fully vaccinated against Covid Air New Zealand, the country's flag carrier airline, has announced that from February 1, , passengers on its international flights will also need to be fully vaccinated.
The country's two-way travel bubble with Australia is currently suspended, but quarantine-free travel for vaccinated passengers from New Zealand to Australia resumed at the start of November. From November 8, vaccinated travelers from Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau and Vanuatu will no longer have to quarantine on arrival in New Zealand.
This one-way bubble is already in place for travelers from the Cook Islands and from the Pacific island of Niue. Entry requirements.
All arrivals, including New Zealand citizens, must be fully vaccinated and undertake 14 days of mandatory quarantine and test negative for Covid at the end of this period before entering the community.
From November 14, the day hotel quarantine period will be shortened to seven days for fully vaccinated travelers from abroad, with a plan to move to a system of home isolation for fully vaccinated arrivals later in All arrivals must book their place in a managed isolation and quarantine facility prior to travel, and a voucher confirming that a space has been booked must be presented before boarding. Places are currently very limited.
Level 1: Low. You should be fully vaccinated before traveling. Play Video. New Zealand students sue energy minister over oil and gas permits decision. Lawsuit is the second major legal challenge to climate policy in New Zealand this year.
At a glance: Covid vaccine mandates around the world. Many countries have made inoculation mandatory for at least some of their citizens, with penalties for those who do not get jabbed. New Zealand finally welcomes godwit two months after it was blown 2,km back to Alaska. New Zealand anti-vaccine mandate protests: police and photographer attacked. Boris Johnson was pictured without a mask during hospital visit; French authorities said more people in hospital with Covid over past 24 hours.
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