New Zealand Prime Minister: Flattening Curve Wasn ’t Enough for New Zealand

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand this year pulled off a moonshot that remains the envy of most other nations: It eliminated the coronavirus. But the goal was driven as much by fear as it was ambition, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press. She said the target grew from an early realization the nation’s health system simply couldn’t cope with a big outbreak. And there have been plenty of bumps along the way. When a handful of unexplained cases began cropping up in August, Ardern found herself defending wildly exaggerated claims from President Donald Trump, who told crowds at rallies there was a massive resurgence and “It’s over for New Zealand. Everything’s gone.” “Was angry the word?” Ardern said, reflecting on Trump’s comments. She said while the new cases were deeply concerning, “to be described in that way was a misrepresentation of New Zealand’s position.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. New Zealand’s response to the virus has been among the most successful, together with actions taken by China, Taiwan and Thailand early on in the pandemic. The country of 5 million has counted just 25 deaths and managed to stamp out the spread of COVID-19, allowing people to return to workplaces, schools and packed sports stadiums without restrictions. When the virus began hitting Europe early in the ye...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: AP News Coronavirus International Source Type: news