New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said her country has “done what few countries have been able to do” and contained the community spread of Covid-19 and can start easing its lockdown measures. As the BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil writes, the country’s success – and Ardern’s leadership – have won it global attention.
On 13 March, New Zealand was about to mark the first anniversary of the Christchurch shooting with a national memorial event.
Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health. Credit; Getty
I asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern then if she was concerned about hosting such a large gathering, just after the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared a pandemic. She said she wasn’t, based on the existing scientific advice.
Things changed overnight. Not only was the event cancelled, the prime minister announced that almost everyone coming into New Zealand would have to self-isolate for 14 days.
It was among the earliest and toughest self-isolation measures in the world, which, a week later, would lead to a complete lockdown.
“We’re going hard and we’re going early,” Ms Ardern told […]
I believe Jacinda is extraordinary and she’s leading a nation that’s much smaller. Given how large the US is, and our pioneering history that remains revered and embedded, we have to be one of the challenged nations to shift. Not saying change won’t happen. It will. It is. And, I believe much of that is due to the younger generations. That said, am curious to see what happens with universities in Sept. It seems, at some point, the actual campuses will be ‘museums’.’ Vaults that will be occasionally visited. Or perhaps used for other purposes. For the most part, more and more classes will be taught online. I believe online classes will enable a larger number of young people to afford higher education. And those who are challenged by English will have the benefit of onscreen translation.