Non-pharmaceutical strategies win coronavirus disease 2019 battle in New Zealand
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Date
2020Author
Nhamo, Godwell
Kandawasvika, Gwendoline Q.
Sibanda, Mncengeli
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This literature-based article found that on 08 June 2020, New Zealand claimed victory over
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mainly because of effective non-pharmaceutical
strategies and interventions that included a hard lockdown. The response was informed by the
country’s Influenza Pandemic Plan (although without criticism), which was updated in 2017,
and the swift responses from political leadership and other key stakeholders. Strategies
instituted included the proclamation of urgent precautionary measures leading to border
closures, issuing of a 3-month-long COVID-19 notice under the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006,
the proclamation of the COVID-19 Elimination Strategy and the Initial COVID-19 Māori
Response Action Plan, which incorporated COVID-19 Alert Levels that facilitated stepwise
easing of the hard lockdown. The non-pharmaceutical strategies seem to have worked again,
even as the second wave of COVID-19 infections returned in August 2020 through an Auckland
cluster. Hence, the New Zealand case remains one that the world can draw lessons from,
although not perfect.