The government of NEW Zealand is not “ready to accept” an English-style strategy of “living with” the coronavirus, the country’s Covid-19 response minister has said.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins said the expected level of deaths in England as Boris Johnson lifts the majority of restrictions would be “unacceptable”.
The couple were asked about Johnson’s removal of masks and social distancing from July 19, and the insistence that “we have to come to terms, unfortunately, with more deaths from Covid.”
Britain’s Health Secretary also said cases could reach 100,000 a day after rules are dropped on July 19.
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“It’s not something we’ve been prepared to accept in New Zealand,” Hipkins told reporters.
“One of the things the UK government has been very clear on is [is] that there will be a spike in cases, potentially thousands of cases per day. There will be more people who die.
“We’re likely to see more gradual changes than dramatic changes where we wake up one morning and say, ‘We’re just going back to how things were before Covid-19. “”
Ardern was diplomatic when asked if New Zealand would accept coronavirus deaths, saying “different countries are making different choices”.
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She added: “The priority for me is how to continue to preserve what New Zealand has managed to win and to give itself options, because this virus is not done with the world yet.”
New Zealand’s chief health officer said today the country is keeping a close watch on the UK and warned of being placed on a no-fly list if cases increase significantly.
New Zealand has only recorded 2,763 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic and 26 deaths. A strict border and quarantine approach is cited as a big part of their success in approaching the crisis.
