"While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone ... Thank you, New Zealand," Ardern told reporters.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday (June 8) announced that New Zealand has finally eliminated the transmission of COVID-19 domestically and will be lifting every containment measures except for border controls.
This makes New Zealand one of the first countries to do so.
Ardern also added that any public and private events, retailing and hospitality industries, including the public transport can now resume without any social distancing restrictions still in place.
"While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone ... Thank you, New Zealand," Ardern told reporters.
"We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort," she added.
"Today, 75 days later, we are ready," Ardern told during a news conference, announcing that the Kiwi government are looking to drop all social distancing norms from midnight on Monday, moving to a level 1 national alert from Level 2.
However, the border controls would remain and everyone entering the country will be tested as part of a precautionary measure.
At the moment of reporting, New Zealand has zero active coronavirus cases for the first time since the virus arrived in late February according to the health ministry.
The country has reported 1,154 total infected cases with 22 deaths from the disease.
Ardern also said she did a "little dance" when she was informed that there were no more active coronavirus cases in New Zealand, surprising her two-year-old baby girl, Neve.
"She was caught a little by surprise and she joined it having absolutely no idea why I was dancing around the lounge. She enjoyed it nevertheless," the Kiwi PM said.
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