On March 16th, New Zealand requested self-isolation for all people entering from overseas. Just four days later, they quickly closed the border and banned entry to non-nationals. And finally, from Thursday, March 26th, a four-week lockdown began.
New Zealand's coronavirus response has changed dramatically over the past two weeks.
As of March 24, New Zealand has no deaths, but 155 cases have been confirmed. In addition, the infection route of two cases is unknown, which is a major concern.
The alert system is now at its highest level
On March 21, the New Zealand government announced an updated threat alert system for coronavirus, which is used in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
Coronavirus: New Zealand has a threat system, here's how it works and how it will affect you
This system divides threat danger into four levels, and at the time of announcement it was at Level 2, the second lowest.
Level 2
"The threat is under control, but the risk of infection is increasing."
This is the situation.
What can be done?
- Border closures
- Further tightening of restrictions on events that gather large numbers of people (Level 1 prohibits events with more than 500 people)
- Refrain from domestic travel (movement)
- Employers should reassess how staff work, where possible, by introducing remote working, avoiding overcrowding in the workplace, shift work, making it easier to take time off, etc.
- People who are more likely to develop severe symptoms (elderly people, people with chronic illnesses, etc.) are advised to self-isolate at home.
And so on.
On March 23rd, it was announced that it would be raised to Level 3, and then further changed to Level 4 48 hours later (on the 25th).
This resulted in New Zealand going into lockdown.
What are the measures for the worst risk, Level 4?
When Level 4 is activated,
- All citizens are asked to stay at home
- All educational institutions closed
- All businesses are closed except for essential services, with the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies, and stores selling daily necessities.
- Strict restrictions on domestic travel
- Reprioritizing medical services
and other measures will be taken.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern explained the decision at a press conference.
Although he prefaced his remarks by saying that "the damage is still small compared to other countries,"
We could lose thousands of New Zealanders (if things go as bad as they did in Italy).
He appealed,
We can still stop the spread of infection now
He asked for understanding of the restrictions on behavior that come with home isolation.
It is clear that the government is determined that protecting the lives of its citizens is its top priority, and that this is no longer the time to worry about the economy.
While some Kiwis have made harsh comments, saying that this could have been predicted much sooner given the situation in Italy and other countries, many seem to praise the government for its swift response.
Lockdown scheduled for four weeks...
The lockdown, which will close all non-essential businesses and force all citizens to self-isolate at home, is scheduled to begin on March 26 for four weeks, but it is likely to be extended depending on the situation.
Despite the current extremely difficult situation, New Zealand celebrities are sending out video messages to raise awareness of the coronavirus countermeasures.
Coronavirus Covid-19: Kiwi celebs join forces to spread awareness
COVID-19
A crisis never before faced
I'm no expert but I know this is ridiculous
The virus is right in front of us
The situation is going to get more and more serious
A time when our humanity is put to the test
Our family has something to do together.
COVID-19 bastard
Let's face the threat
Let's do our best to defeat it
The time to act is now
Each and every one of us
A Time to Unite
Everyone is doing their best
calm down
Be considerate
Be patient
Don't panic
Don't do anything stupid.
Listen carefully to what the experts have to say
If you are asked for something
I will definitely do that, definitely
Except they tell me to buy toilet paper.
No seriously, stop that. There's really no need to buy toilet paper.
A little love connects the road
Let's all come together against COVID-19
together
Unity
All of us
It's absolutely fine
Finally, Taika Waititi, the New Zealand film director who received rave reviews for the Marvel film Thor: Ragnarok and just won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay last month for Jojo Rabbit, concluded the event with, "We got this."
The difference in response compared to Japan is so great that it's actually a little frightening, but I would like to report on how Kiwis will overcome this situation over the next four weeks, including voices from the local area.
