New Zealand extends lockdown by a week, to ease measures on April 27

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand, April 20, 2020. /AP

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that the country will end its level 4 lockdown at 11:59 p.m. on April 27 and then move into level 3 for an initial period of two weeks.

Ardern said that the Cabinet considered lifting the lockdown on April 23, but decided against it to lock in gains by the measures and have some additional certainty.

According to Ardern, New Zealand has reported one of the lowest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the world. The transmission rate of the virus, which is the number of cases one infected person can transmit to, is at 0.48 in the country, while the average is 2.5 overseas, said the prime minister.

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"New Zealand will move out of Alert Level 4 lockdown at 11.59 p.m. on Monday, April 27, one week from today," Ardern told a news conference.

The announcement means businesses deemed safe can reopen, along with some schools, while limits on local travel are also relaxed and gatherings of up to 10 people allowed for events such as weddings or funerals. Though restrictions will be loosened slightly, social distancing rules will remain.

"We will then hold in Alert Level 3 for two weeks, before reviewing how we are tracking again, and making further decisions at Cabinet on the 11th of May," she said.

New Zealand entered a four-week lockdown in late March, which included closing the island nation's borders, countrywide stay-at-home orders and shuttering all non-essential businesses and services.

The draconian measures made the South Pacific country one of the most successful in containing the virus, with around 1,100 known cases among the five-million population, including 12 deaths and 974 recovered patients. It had seven confirmed new infections on Monday.

A medical staffer tests a shopper in her car who volunteered at a pop-up community COVID-19 testing station at a supermarket car park in Christchurch, New Zealand, April 17, 2020. /AP

"We have done what very few countries have been able to do," Ardern said. "We have stopped a wave of devastation."

She added, "I couldn't feel prouder of the start we have made together but I also feel a huge responsibility to ensure that we do not lose any of the gains we have made either."

(With input from AFP, Reuters)

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