Freed from strict lockdown New Zealanders head to fast food outlets, beaches
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
January 27, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2023
Freed from strict lockdown New Zealanders head to fast food outlets, beaches

Coronavirus chronicle

Reuters
28 April, 2020, 01:25 pm
Last modified: 28 April, 2020, 01:41 pm

Related News

  • China says Covid deaths down by nearly 80 percent
  • Updated Covid vaccines prevented illness from latest variants -CDC
  • Troubleshooter Chris Hipkins faces a tough road as New Zealand PM
  • New Zealand's Chris Hipkins sworn in as prime minister
  • Grateful Ardern makes last bow as New Zealand PM

Freed from strict lockdown New Zealanders head to fast food outlets, beaches

Around 400,000 people returned to work after Ardern shifted the country's alert level down a notch, loosening some of the tough movement restrictions that shut down businesses for weeks

Reuters
28 April, 2020, 01:25 pm
Last modified: 28 April, 2020, 01:41 pm
A man collects takeaway food at a McDonald's as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Auckland, New Zealand, April 28, 2020/Reuters
A man collects takeaway food at a McDonald's as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Auckland, New Zealand, April 28, 2020/Reuters

New Zealanders queued for burgers, fries and coffee takeaway on Tuesday after they were freed from a month-long lockdown, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has credited with eliminating domestic transmission of the coronavirus.

Around 400,000 people returned to work after Ardern shifted the country's alert level down a notch, loosening some of the tough movement restrictions that shut down businesses for weeks.

"It's hard to explain how good this tastes," Christopher Bishop, a lawmaker, said on Twitter after posting a picture with a takeaway coffee cup.

Long queues of cars snaked up to McDonald's Corp outlets in Auckland and Wellington from the early hours as people sought a fast food fix.

"We got quarter pounders, Big Macs, drinks ... I've still got two cheeseburgers left but I can't finish them," Tai Perez, who arrived at a McDonald's outlet in Auckland at 4am, was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.

Surfing, walks on the beach and a round of golf were other popular pursuits on Tuesday as the country's 5 million residents experienced a taste of freedom after one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ardern said the shutdown had effectively eliminated the coronavirus in the country. New Covid-19 infections ticked up by two on Tuesday to 1,124 cases, with a community transmission rate of just 0.4%. There have been 19 deaths.

Still, Ardern was quick to stress that the reduction in the official threat status to Level 3 from Level 4 was merely the first step and it would be weeks before all movement restrictions were wound back.

People collect takeaway food at a McDonald's as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Auckland, New Zealand, April 28, 2020/ Reuters
People collect takeaway food at a McDonald's as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Auckland, New Zealand, April 28, 2020/ Reuters

"It's an ongoing battle," Ardern said at a televised news conference. "There is no one point in time that this mission ends. We are in the next phase of the battle and we are not done."

The Level 3 restrictions, which limit people to local travel and keep malls, pubs, hairdressers and other businesses closed, will last for at least another two weeks, Ardern said.

Any step down to Level 2 would depend on a review of the situation at May 11, she said, adding it was also possible some restrictions could be reintroduced. There was no immediate timetable for subsequent steps down to Level 1 and a return to post-crisis life.

"No one wants a second wave in New Zealand and we must guard against that," Ardern said.

There was growing debate about the terminology that should be used for New Zealand's status in relation to the coronavirus spread, with some experts saying "elimination" would not allow for recurrent small numbers of cases.

"Elimination does not mean zero cases," Ardern clarified. "It would be an ongoing campaign and zero tolerance for cases."

Economic Fallout

Ardern's government now faces the challenge of restarting the $200 billion trade and tourism dependent economy as it heads into national elections in September.

Cars line up at a McDonald's drive-through as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Auckland, New Zealand, April 28, 2020/ Reuters
Cars line up at a McDonald's drive-through as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Auckland, New Zealand, April 28, 2020/ Reuters

Ardern told parliament on Tuesday that economic activity would rise under Level 3 restrictions to about 60-70% of its usual capacity.

Westpac Bank warned in a note on Tuesday that NZ$20 billion ($12 billion) of government stimulus may not be enough to prevent a steep slide, forecasting GDP to fall 6.3% in 2020.

Westpac also said the RBNZ would likely need to double its existing NZ$30 billion quantitative easing programme next month and reduce the official cash rate to -0.5% in November.

World+Biz / Top News

New Zealand / Coronavirus / COVID-19 / Coronavirus lockdown

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Manufacturers feel the pinch as consumers tighten belt
    Manufacturers feel the pinch as consumers tighten belt
  • Sugar turning bitter!
    Sugar turning bitter!
  • Ministries, divisions with highest allocation lag in ADP implementation
    Ministries, divisions with highest allocation lag in ADP implementation

MOST VIEWED

  •  A medical worker checks the IV drip treatment of a patient lying on a bed in the emergency department of a hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Staff
    China says Covid deaths down by nearly 80 percent
  • Sean Bagley, 14, receives the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) booster vaccine targeting BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub variants at Skippack Pharmacy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah Beier
    Updated Covid vaccines prevented illness from latest variants -CDC
  • People embrace at the international arrivals gate at Beijing Capital International Airport after China lifted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) quarantine requirement for inbound travellers in Beijing, China January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
    China says peak Covid infections exceeded 7 million daily, deaths more than 4,000 daily
  • A woman holds a small bottle labelled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo
    US proposes once-a-year Covid shots for most Americans
  • The United Nations headquarters building is pictured though a window with the UN logo in the foreground in the Manhattan borough of New York August 15, 2014. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (UNITED STATES
    Covid-19 cut known human trafficking, but Ukraine war a risk: UN
  • Medical workers attend to patients at the intensive care unit of the emergency department at Beijing Chaoyang hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 27, 2022. China Daily via REUTERS
    China reports nearly 13,000 Covid deaths over last week

Related News

  • China says Covid deaths down by nearly 80 percent
  • Updated Covid vaccines prevented illness from latest variants -CDC
  • Troubleshooter Chris Hipkins faces a tough road as New Zealand PM
  • New Zealand's Chris Hipkins sworn in as prime minister
  • Grateful Ardern makes last bow as New Zealand PM

Features

According to the CAB president Ghulam Rahman, one of the most common complaints of consumers is being deceived by sellers when it comes to the weight of goods. Photo: TBS

Has the Directorate improved consumer rights in Bangladesh?

1d | Panorama
A 2022 survey of 1,000 companies by professional services consultancy PwC found that between a sixth and a quarter had used AI in recruitment or employee retention in the past 12 months. Illustration: Bloomberg

AI is coming to your workplace. Is the world ready?

1d | Panorama
Edison Desdemona, the newly launched stellar project of Edison Real Estate, located at Bashundhara Residential Area. Photo: Courtesy

EDISON DESDEMONA: A creation like no other

2d | Habitat
BruTown by PARTI.studio. Photo: Junaid Hasan Pranto

Interesting ceiling design ideas to elevate any space

2d | Habitat

More Videos from TBS

Kajol’s road paintings bring change in Gafargaon

Kajol’s road paintings bring change in Gafargaon

7h | TBS Stories
Carew & Company witnessed a remarkable growth

Carew & Company witnessed a remarkable growth

8h | TBS Stories
PCB recalls cricketers from BPL ahead of PSL

PCB recalls cricketers from BPL ahead of PSL

10h | TBS SPORTS
Why Misha Sawdagar became villain instead of a Hero?

Why Misha Sawdagar became villain instead of a Hero?

9h | TBS Entertainment

Most Read

1
Picture: Collected
Bangladesh

US Embassy condemns recent incidents of visa fraud

2
Four top bankers arrested in DSA case filed by S Alam group 
Bangladesh

Four top bankers arrested in DSA case filed by S Alam group 

3
Illustration: TBS
Banking

16 banks at risk of capital shortfall if top 3 borrowers default

4
A frozen Beyond Burger plant-based patty. Photographer: AKIRA for Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Special

Fake meat was supposed to save the world. It became just another fad

5
Photo: Collected
Splash

Hansal Mehta responds as Twitter user calls him 'shameless' for making Faraaz

6
Ctg Port Gets A Boost: The Chattogram port officially starts to berth vessels with 10 metres drought on Monday. As of now, only 9.5m draught vessels could anchor at the port, each carrying 2,500 TEUs. But the 10m draught ship will be able to carry 4,000 TEUs, bumping up the port’s container handling capacity and bringing down costs. The photo was taken recently from the port area. Photo: Mohammed Minhaj Uddin
Bangladesh

Dollar crisis: 3 ships with 54,000 tonnes of goods get stuck at Ctg port

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]