New Zealand preparing to end lockdown after success in coronavirus battle
Jacinda Ardern said New Zealanders’ adherence to restrictions had ‘saved lives’ (Pictures: Getty/AsiaPac)

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country is ‘turning a corner’ in the battle against coronavirus after recording the lowest number of new cases in three weeks.

She praised residents for mounting a ‘wall of defence’ which is ‘breaking the chain of transmission’ following the swift implementation of lockdown measures.

The country has recorded 992 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with just one death so far. Health officials said there were 29 new cases on Thursday, the fourth successive daily drop since 89 were recorded on Sunday and the latest sign of a flattening of the curve.

Ms Ardern suggested the four-week lockdown could be softened in just over a weeks’ time, allowing some to return to work if social distancing rules can be maintained.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - APRIL 09: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament on April 09, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand has been in lockdown since Thursday 26 March following tough restrictions imposed by the government to stop the spread of COVID-19 across the country. A State of National Emergency is in place along with an Epidemic Notice to help ensure the continuity of essential Government business. Under the COVID-19 Alert Level Four measures, all non-essential businesses are closed, including bars, restaurants, cinemas and playgrounds. Schools are closed and all indoor and outdoor events are banned. Essential services will remain open, including supermarkets and pharmacies. Lockdown measures are expected to remain in place for around four weeks, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warning there will be zero tolerance for people ignoring the restrictions, with police able to enforce them if required. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand is ‘turning a corner’ in the battle against coronavirus (Picture: Getty Images/AsiaPac)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - APRIL 09: Police stop traffic heading north on state highway one in Warkworth on April 09, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. With New Zealand in lockdown due to COVID-19, police are setting up checkpoints across the country to ensure people on the roads are travelling for essential purposes only. The Easter long weekend is a popular time for New Zealanders to go on holiday, however current Level 4 restrictions in place due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic requires everyone to remain at the place of residence they were in as of midnight 25 March when New Zealand went into lockdown. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
The lockdown in New Zealand is currently due to expire on April 22 (Picture: Getty Images/AsiaPac)

The PM said New Zealanders’ strict adherence to the rules during the four-week lockdown had ‘saved lives’.

She added: ‘At the halfway mark I have no hesitation in saying, that what New Zealanders have done over the last two weeks is huge.

‘In the face of the greatest threat to human health we have seen in over a century, Kiwis have quietly and collectively implemented a nationwide wall of defence.

‘You are breaking the chain of transmission. And you did it for each other.’

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NZ CV cases per day
Graph showing how the number of cases per day fell after New Zealand was placed into lockdown

But she cautioned against taking a foot off the pedal, adding: ‘We have what we need to win this marathon. You have stayed calm, you’ve been strong, you’ve saved lives, and now we need to keep going.’

Ms Ardern said the government will decide on April 20 whether to relax or extend lockdown measures, which are currently due to expire on April 22.

New Zealand confirmed its first case on February 26.

But it began testing more than a month before, on January 22.

How New Zealand flattening the curve
The daily number of coronavirus cases recorded each day in New Zealand (in yellow), along with the falling rate of growth in virus cases (red line)

All new arrivals into the country were ordered into quarantine as early as March 14 and cruise ships were banned.

Within days all non-residents and non-citizens were banned from entering the country altogether.

Ms Ardern has now ruled that citizens returning home will now spend 14 days in an ‘approved facility’.

How UK flattening curve
Equivalent figures for the UK

By contrast, the UK is still not carrying out health or temperature checks on people arriving from overseas, including from hotspots like Italy and China previously.

New Zealand’s lockdown was imposed when the country had 363 confirmed cases. The UK’s came into effect when there were 6,650.

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