New Zealand marks 100 COVID-free days

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — This nation Sunday marked 100 days since it stamped out the spread of the coronavirus, a rare bright spot in a world that continues to be ravaged by the disease.

Life has returned to normal for many people in the South Pacific nation of 5 million, as they attend rugby games at packed stadiums and sit down in bars and restaurants without the fear of getting infected.

New Zealand got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March, when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease.

For the past three months, the only new cases have been a handful of returning travelers who have been quarantined at the border.

“It was good science and great political leadership that made the difference,” said professor Michael Baker, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago. “If you look around the globe at countries that have done well, it’s usually that combination.”

From early on, New Zealand pursued a bold strategy of eliminating the virus rather than just suppressing its spread. Baker said other countries are increasingly looking to New Zealand for answers.

“The whole Western world has terribly mismanaged this threat, and they’re realizing this now,” Baker said.

New Zealand’s economy has fared better than many predicted. The country has kept its unemployment rate at just 4 percent, although many economists say the number doesn’t account for recent job losses and likely will get worse after a government-funded wage subsidy expires next month.

Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern’s leadership has been widely praised. She reassured people during the lockdown with daily briefings and a message that resonated: “Go hard and go early.”

Total infections were limited to just over 1,500, and the country has had just 22 deaths. Opinion polls indicate support for Ardern’s liberal Labour Party has surged ahead of a general election next month.

Still, New Zealand’s international tourism industry has collapsed, and the country remains more isolated from the outside world than before. But Sunday, at least, marked a milestone that many in New Zealand noted with a sense of thankfulness and relief.