Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday told New Zealanders now was the time to move from weeks of pandemic restrictions to an environment much closer to the old, pre-lockdown normal.
Confusion as to how many people can attend a party, a sports match or church service, or on which side of the footpath one must walk to maintain social distancing, are no more. Hand sanitiser and QR codes might still greet visitors to workplaces and stores, but limits as to how many people can crowd into our shops, cafes and bars are consigned to history.
The move to Covid-19 Alert Level 1 from midnight last night means people can move as they want, to where they want and with whom they want. Airlines have announced new flights. Tickets will be sold to sports matches. Society and the domestic economy it supports have been thrown back open.
Of course, one could argue a clutch of statistics suggested the battle to eliminate Covid-19 was won much earlier than this week, and that every day lost to caution sacrificed the cashflow of businesses that need an open economy to keep themselves going.
A leaked Cabinet paper last week showed officials considered there was, theoretically, no need for restrictions after 28 days of no community transmission of Covid-19. The last case of community transmission was recorded 40 days before yesterday’s announcement. There were just 24 new cases after the country moved to Level 3, two during Level 2 and none after bars and restaurants reopened, and since gatherings of up to 100 people were allowed to take place.
It is arguable it was clear New Zealand was ready for Alert Level 1 last week, when Ms Ardern heightened expectations by praising the country’s response and confirmed the restrictions were set for review. If the pandemic response has proven anything, it is that the Prime Minister does not heighten expectations lightly.
This was not lost on the politicians. It is almost certainly no coincidence their calls to move to Level 1 rose to a chorus immediately after last week’s press conference. It was certainly no surprise the restrictions had to be lifted no later than last night.
However — and regardless as to whether the announcement came a week later than those not experts in epidemiology thought it should — there can be no doubt the sacrifices of the past two-and-a-bit months have earned New Zealand a head start on the rest of the world.
The Prime Minister was right to observe Level 1 ensures New Zealand has one of the most open economies in the world, surpassing oft-lauded Australia which continues to have new cases and is still debating the extent to which normal inter-state travel should resume.
More than most other countries, New Zealand is more open and entirely ready for business, even if it will take an indeterminate time for our trading partners to catch up. With our borders effectively closed for the foreseeable future, and with work on travel bubbles with other countries dependent entirely on what happens overseas, any trade that relies on the movement of people seems some way off.
So, with the optimism that comes with the move to Alert Level 1 must come the firm realisation that the fortunes of the next few months rest entirely on how all New Zealanders contribute to the economic rebuild. We expect the Government to work to a coherent plan funded by its remarkable Covid-19 response budget, but we must all play a part.
We must buy local products, support local businesses, stimulate local domestic tourism, and do what we can to support our communities. We should also support the social services helping those made casualties of the pandemic.
Asked about a Plan B pandemic response, Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield yesterday told reporters he had not seen a better plan for healthcare or for the economy than that pursued by New Zealand.
Now, Plan A must be to turn our attention to promoting and securing the health of our communities.
