Comments by New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern
- There is no widespread community transmission in NZ
- We have tested over 85,000 people for the coronavirus
- One of the highest rates per capita in the world
- Virus transmission rate is now 0.48
- We have done what few countries have been able to
- Elimination doesn't mean zero cases, it means zero tolerance
- Will hold at alert level 3 for two weeks before reviewing further
- Alert level 3 means people should still stay at home
That's a positive development, as the kiwi races to a session high on the day on the announcement. NZD/USD is now at 0.6060 as the government confirms that they will be moving out of the current lockdown measures starting from 27 April.
Still, it's baby steps not only for New Zealand but for all countries around the world. Easing of lockdown restrictions doesn't equate to a return to pre-virus conditions, not when global travel is still non-existent and consumer behaviour is going to change drastically.
