RELATED: US interest in moving to New Zealand jumps during COVID-19 pandemicNew Zealand got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease.
That stopped its spread. For the past three months, the only new cases have been a handful of returning travelers who have been quarantined at the border.“It was good science and great political leadership that made the difference,” said professor Michael Baker, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago. “If you look around the globe at countries that have done well, it's usually that combination.”From early on, New Zealand pursued a bold strategy of eliminating the virus rather than just suppressing its spread.