Tougher New Zealand rules on Covid-19 could set it apart as ‘normal’ nation after lockdown
Epidemiologist tells parliamentary committee even more stringent measures could ‘eliminate virus over next few weeks’
The New Zealand government’s swift move to lock down the country when there had been no deaths and only a few hundred cases of Covid-19 has drawn widespread praise – but an epidemiologist told a committee of lawmakers on Tuesday that the rules alone would not be enough to curb the virus’ spread.
“It’s like pressing the pause button on your device,” David Skegg, an emeritus professor of epidemiology at the University of Otago, said of the four-week national lockdown that began last Wednesday. He added that the sacrifices New Zealanders had made by staying at home, and the hit to the country’s economy of a national shutdown, would be “a terrible waste if we don’t pull out all the stops now.”
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