Until the outbreak of the Delta variant a few months ago, New Zealand has had great success with its tactics of closing borders and cracking down on the coronavirus.
The country has had few outbreaks, low infection rates, and has escaped long periods of “lockdown”, intrusive restrictions, and only had 27 deaths as a result of covid-19.
– By no means over
Delta outbreak
But in August, the Delta variant broke out in New Zealand. The country managed to reduce the daily infection rates, but has not managed to eliminate the virus.
The peak of infection came on 28 August with 84 new infected. In September, they reduced the number to less than 20 new infections a week, before it has now dropped to over 20 again.
The capital Auckland, where the outbreak is, is closed for the second month in a row, while the rest of the country has only mild restrictions.
Will make changes
This means that the country’s largest opposition party for the first time during the pandemic raises questions about the corona strategy.
This week, Judith Collins, leader of the opposition and the National Party, presented her own corona plan. As she believes the outbreak of the Delta variant means that the current plan is not enough.
DISAGREE: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and opposition leader Judith Collins during a televised debate in September last year. Photo: NTB
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She believes more frequent testing, tracking and isolation are needed before they find a good answer to the more infectious mutant.
– They have slept at the wheel. Things have changed, it’s obvious that this is not working, Collins said when she presented her own plan, according to The Guardian.
Awaiting infection explosion
In the plan, the opposition party wants to shelve the lockdown as soon as 70-75 percent of the population is vaccinated, and quarantine-free travel when 85 percent are vaccinated.
According to Collins, her plan is made by experts in the public sector.
Which means that New Zealanders living outside the country can come home to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
According to The Guardian Collins has said she is frustrated that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has not set a specific vaccine target until they change the terms.
Has announced a new delta variant
More criticism
David Seymour, leader of the liberal ACT party, has also presented his own plan. He has also been very critical of the government’s strategy.
“I would not call it an elimination strategy, I would describe it as an occasional eradication strategy,” he told The Guardian.
He believes the country should have had stricter and shorter closures than has been the case.
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