Because of the delta variant
New Zealand changes corona strategy and sets vaccination target
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wants to change course in the fight against the pandemic. Photo: Ben Mckay / AAP / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
New Zealand has long been considered a model country for proponents of a “no-Covid strategy”. The delta variant is now forcing the government of the Pacific state to change course.
The Corona model country New Zealand has announced a new roadmap in the fight against the virus in view of the spread of the Delta variant.
The government announced on Friday that the corona restrictions will be relaxed when 90 percent of the population have been vaccinated.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was initially against setting a vaccination target. Nobody should be left behind. “The Delta variant made it very difficult for us to maintain our strategy of weeding out. Their tentacles have reached our communities and made it difficult to shake them off. ” When the vaccination goal is achieved, New Zealand will adopt a “minimize and protect” strategy. So far, strict restrictions, such as local lockdowns, apply even if only a few cases occur.
After reaching the vaccination goal, a traffic light system should be introduced, which depends on the number of cases and the burden on the health system. In the case of green, for example, certain bars that have hitherto been classified as high-risk shops are likely to open to fully vaccinated people. The vaccinations are like armor. “If you want to do the things you love, you have to get vaccinated,” said Ardern. She also admitted that with the new strategy, more corona cases could arise than before.
By Friday, about 68 percent of the adult population was fully vaccinated. In total, the country with its five million inhabitants has so far recorded around 5,000 infections. 28 people have died in connection with Covid-19. New Zealand has long pursued a so-called zero covid strategy. However, Ardern had recently admitted that with the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, this would hardly be feasible.
On Thursday, New Zealand had registered a three-digit number of new corona infections for the first time since the pandemic began. Authorities reported 102 new cases within 24 hours.