PM shares Covid tips with world leaders
Coming out the other side of the coronavirus lockdown is proving to be a global effort.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday night joined an online meeting of an ‘early movers’ group of countries, which have taken similar approaches to the Covid-19 pandemic as New Zealand.
The collaborative group – made up of leaders from Australia, Singapore, Denmark, Norway, Greece, the Czech Republic, and Israel – shared insights and experiences.
Ardern, discussing the meeting afterwards on Facebook, said each country included in the video conference was on common ground as they moved to ease restrictions while maintaining low case numbers.
‘‘New Zealand fares really well amongst that group,’’ she said. ‘‘We are really well-placed and we’re making good progress.’’
Wednesday marked five days with no new cases in New Zealand. Ardern said the national movement down the alert level system and easing of restrictions was happening ‘‘much more rapidly’’ than in other places.
This wasn’t the first time she has talked shop and shared ideas with other world leaders. In
April, Ardern spent some time talking with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and has been in frequent contact with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The informal early movers group was focused on sharing Covid-19 experiences rather than discussing a large travel bubble between the countries, the prime minister’s office previously said.
Ardern also provided a brief update on the proposed trans-Tasman bubble, which a working group hoped to have up and running by the July school holidays. The lack of quarantine requirements at either side remained the key focus of the bubble.
‘‘I doubt anyone would want to travel short periods of time if they’re spending two weeks of their holiday in a hotel,’’ Ardern said.
In reply to reports New Zealand could open to only New South Wales and Victoria as a starting point – as each Australian state and territory had their own restrictions and border closures in place – Ardern said that was an issue for Australia to work through.
‘‘That’s up to them,’’ she said. For the time being, her focus would be ensuring New Zealand had ‘‘our house in order’’.