'Battle is won but war is not over': PM Ardern as New Zealand enters COVID alert level 2

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on May 11 anunced that malls, cinema halls, restaurants and playgrounds will be allowed to reopen after over 2 month-long strict lockdown. Ardern also added that country will phase out its coronavirus lockdown over next 10 days. country will move into level 2 of lockdown allowing schools to reopen and workers to return to ir offices. 

Bars, however, will be allowed to reopen from May 21 as y are deemed “high-risk”. Also, several social distancing rms will still be in place as social garings, including at weddings and funerals, would be limited to 10. While anuncing easing of lockdown, PM Ardern warned that "ne of us can assume COVID is t with us" but added that country currently had only 90 active cases. 

"Your efforts New Zealand have got us to this place ahead of most of world and without carn that COVID has inflicted in many or places," she said in a televised address. "But re are risks ahead, so please be vigilant."

With a population of about five million people, New Zealand mand to restrict its coronavirus cases to 1,147 and reported at least 21 deaths. On May 4, country reported zero new coronavirus cases for first time since going into lockdown in mid-March. Furr, number of new cases has been in single digits since mid-April and country reported three new infections on May 11. 

Read: Explainer: How New Zealand's 'elimination Policy' Got COVID Cases Down To Zero In 6 Weeks

What's allowed in level 2 lockdown?

Under Level Two restrictions, while schools, offices are recreational places are allowed to reopen, international borders will still remain closed. However, domestically, life will be close to rmal with precautions in place. PM Ardern said that w people will longer have to "stick to ir bubble" as y will w be allowed to meet ir near and dear ones.  country, that has been widely lauded for successfully 'eliminating' coronavirus, will still follow social distancing rms so as to keep risk of a resurgence at bay. 

"This is a transition out of our bubbles, you can see people you haven't seen in a while, you just can't do it all at once," Ardern said. "At Level Two we are out and about again, just about all parts of ecomy are opening up again."

Read: New Zealand 'Stuff' Future Unclear After Dueling Statements

Besides, people d over 70 will be able allowed to go out again and domestic travel will also be allowed. Sports teams will also be allowed to return and planning to start a domestic version of Super Rugby on June 13 is already underway.  After two weeks, level two would be reassessed, PM assured. 

'We all kw re’s more to do. We may have won a few battles, but we have t won war. If we slacken up, we might move in wrong direction," New Zealand PM said.

On April 27, country declared that it had 'eliminated' coronavirus as reportedly it only recorded one new case, four "probable cases" and one new death.  country returned to level 3 of lockdown and eased some of its restrictions. Addressing a press conference on April 27, PM Ardern admitted that without level 4 restrictions, picture could have been different. She said models projected New Zealand could have had more than 1,000 cases a day had measures been delayed.

WHO lauds New Zealand

Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said on May 8 that New Zealand's "comprehensive" and "systematic" response to coronavirus outbreak made it more controllable. He added that it was "hard to make hard and fast rules" for how individual countries were affected by virus. And Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had taken bold steps, putting country under a strict lockdown in late March, when only about 100 people had tested positive for new virus. Her motto: “Go hard and go early.”

Read: WHO: New Zealand's Virus Response Made It More Controllable

Read: New Zealand: Citizens Break Lockdown In Record Numbers As Restrictions Ease