New Zealand has no known cases of the coronavirus
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There are no active cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand, the country's health ministry announced Monday.
This is the first time there have been no known cases of the coronavirus in New Zealand since Feb. 28. Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement that the last person being monitored for COVID-19 in the country is free of symptoms, and has been released from isolation. New Zealand has reported 1,154 cases of COVID-19, and 22 deaths.
Early in the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand went into lockdown, prohibiting large gatherings, closing the country to foreign travelers, and shutting down non-essential businesses and schools. It also conducted widespread testing. The government is expected to soon announce whether it will lift remaining social distancing and economic restrictions, Reuters reports.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
