Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has declared that New Zealand "beat the virus again" and announced restrictions in the country's largest city would be eased, after a second Covid-19 wave was contained.
The virus was believed to have been eradicated in late May after a strict national lockdown led to New Zealanders enjoying 102 days without community transmission.
But a new cluster emerged in Auckland in August, forcing the city of 1.5 million into lockdown for almost three weeks. With no new confirmed cases in Auckland for 12 days, Ms Ardern said the virus was now under control and congratulated residents for enduring the second lockdown. "It felt longer and dragged on in what was already starting to feel like a very long year," she said. "Bu