New Zealand to stick with tough Covid-19 curbs amid ‘early signs of improvement’

New Zealand will stick to its tough curbs to combat the coronavirus, despite some early signs that the spread of the illness has been stabilizing. “Our actions for the remainder of the period in level four will be about doubling down to ensure the gains made in the first half are not squandered in the second,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters in Wellington on Monday.

The country’s 67 new infections were the lowest in five days, taking its tally to just over 1,100. New Zealand has reported one death, Reuters said.

Level-four curbs allow people to take walks or go to supermarkets for essentials, but they are required to stay 2 meters (7ft) apart. “I don’t want New Zealand to be at level four for a minute longer than needed, but equally there is no plan to move from level four early,” Ardern said.

New Zealand started a four-week total lockdown of its population of about five million late in March, and declared a national emergency to slow the spread of the virus.