- New Zealand reported 49 new Covid-19 cases every day on Tuesday, a decline for three consecutive days.
- Experts say that the decline in cases indicates that the country’s recent epidemic is under control.
- The country went into lockdown on August 17 after detecting a Covid-19 case presumed to be Delta Air Lines.
- For more stories, please visit www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
Number of people in new Zealand The number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has fallen for the third consecutive day-an early sign that the country’s strict lockdown may be working to contain the highly contagious variant of Delta.
New Zealand recorded 49 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, down from 53 on Monday and 83 on Sunday. Official data show.
Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Institute Said on Twitter on Tuesday New Zealand is “achieving containment”.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously stated that the country’s approach to dealing with the delta will be to “eliminate.” “Eliminating means continuing to eliminate Covid, no matter where it appears,” she says.
The total number of cases in the current outbreak is 612, of which 597 are located in Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand and the center of the outbreak. The remaining 15 cases were in Wellington, the capital of the country.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, New Zealand has recorded 3,520 cases and 26 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University.
Michael Plank, Covid-19 Modeler and Professor of Statistics, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, Tell the guardian The trend in the number of cases over the weekend “may indicate” that the epidemic is stabilizing.
He said: “If the blockade is indeed proven to be effective in preventing the spread of bubbles, then in late September, we may see the number of cases per day drop to about 10 cases. You know, if we can Stopping to reach that level, we will be in a very advantageous position to eliminate the epidemic.”
Planck warned that the speed of testing and processing slowed down over the weekend, which could lead to a reduction in the number of cases.
Michael Baker, a professor of public health at the University of Otago in New Zealand, said he is optimistic about these numbers. “The best news is that the number of cases is not increasing exponentially,” he said. According to the Guardian.
Arden Said at the Monday briefing Without restrictions, the country “can reach 550 cases only today. So it is having an impact. Whether or not we have stabilized and moved down now, I think we do need more time to feel comfortable about this. “
blockade
new Zealand First lock on August 17 After detecting a Covid-19 case, officials believed it was The highly contagious Delta variant, It has mutations that help it avoid immune responses.
Since then, the restrictions have been extended 3 times. Officials announced on Monday that Auckland will enter a level 4 alert, which is the strictest pandemic restriction level and will last at least two more weeks.
According to Level 4 regulations, New Zealanders can only go out to exercise, go to the supermarket to shop, visit pharmacies and other basic medical services, and receive Covid-19 testing.
Most of the rest of the country Will be downgraded to level 3 later on Tuesday. “It means being cautious and staying in your bubble, which means distance and contactless trading,” Ardern said.
New Zealand has fully vaccinated 21.3% of the population, According to Johns Hopkins University. Approximately 52.9% of Americans are vaccinated.
