New Zealand abandons China’s anti-coronavirus lockdown and lockdown strategy

For a year and a half, New Zealand has fought hard to keep the region free from coronavirus. To achieve this, he used a strict border closure and severe confinement every time an infection arose, which allowed him to live normally for long periods of time. But, with the delta variant already inland and the impossibility of controlling the outbreak that emerged in August, it has decided to abandon the strategy. zero tolerance On the other hand, taking into account vaccination rates to ease restrictions.

Its prime minister, progressive Jacinda Ardern, notified this change in curriculum on Monday. “Eradication of (virus) was important because we did not have vaccines. Now we have those, so we can start to change the way we do things. We have more options and we have good reasons to feel optimistic for the future, but we can’t rush,” he told reporters. With nearly five million residents, New Zealand has been a perfect student of strategy covid zero , only responsible for 4,408 infections (including 26 this Tuesday) and 27 deaths. However, the change has been forced because of the situation in the country’s largest city, Auckland, which is facing its worst outbreak since August (about 1,330 infections), despite a seven-week lockdown. “Return to zero cases is incredibly difficult,” acknowledged the president.

China remains the only relevant country still determined to eradicate the virus completely

According to Ardern, it will be a gradual process with the easing of restrictions in phases. In the first measures announced, groups of up to 10 people from two households are allowed on Auckland’s streets or in early childhood education centers to reopen from today. Strict closures may end when most of the population has a full program, a figure that is still a long way off, given that only 49% of people over the age of 12 have received both doses. Nothing has been said about when they will open their borders.

New Zealand follows in the wake of other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, which have resigned themselves to living with it after months betting on a complete eradication of covid, due to difficulties in preventing new strains of population. of fatigue and damage to their economy. This is the case of Vietnam, which saw its gross domestic product (GDP) fall 6.1% year-on-year in the third quarter after being confined for almost three months due to the advance of the delta version. Inspired by the business sector, Prime Minister Pham Minh Sign acknowledged in September that the pandemic had entered a new phase and it was necessary to learn to live with it.

Australia, another ‘Covid Zero’ stronghold, will also ease restrictions on increasing vaccination

another bastion of strategy covid zero Australia also announced that it plans to ease restrictions with an increase in vaccination rates. Currently, 46% of the target population has a complete diet, and this week is expected to reach 80% with at least one dose. Cities like Melbourne hope to emerge from their last lockdown, which is in effect from August to the end of October. The plan also envisages that, from November, Australians and residents already living abroad could enter a country serving only a week’s quarantine at home, not the two government centers that are currently required. Huh.

For its part, with 80% of its population already fully vaccinated, Singapore has also chosen to live with the virus, and is now reopening it for the number of cases rather than hospitalizations. Uses metrics such as number of occurrences and deaths.

China remains the only relevant country still determined to completely eradicate the virus from its territory, a goal for which it follows the script set out from Wuhan: mass testing, stricter confinement and longer limits. Close. Proof that this doesn’t plan to change anytime soon is the imminent opening in the southern city of Guangzhou, a macro quarantine center with 5,000 beds for travelers entering the country. The country, which will host the Winter Olympics next February, is planning similar facilities in other cities.