New Zealand reported zero new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, the second day in a row without any new cases and the fourth day since early last week.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said it was encouraging news as the country prepares to ease many of its lockdown restrictions from midnight.
Most businesses, including malls, retail stores and sit-down restaurants, will be able to reopen.
Social distancing rules will remain in place and gatherings will be limited to 10 people except for funerals, where up to 50 people will be allowed.
New Zealand reported zero new cases of coronavirus on Monday and Tuesday, marking the fourth time in the last week that the figure has been zero as it prepares to relax more measures
‘The sense of anticipation is both palpable and understandable,’ Bloomfield said.
New Zealand has reported a total of 1,497 cases of coronavirus and 21 deaths, and has been widely praised for the effectiveness of its response.
It is currently testing around 6,000 people per day out of a population of just 5million, making it one of the top countries in the world in terms of tests per capita.
The move to alert level 2 comes a little over two weeks after the country was moved to level 3, which allowed people to mix within social ‘bubbles’ and to take part in outdoor sports such as surfing and fishing.
Moving to level 2 will involved a much more dramatic change, as people head back to work and occupy public spaces such as shopping malls.
Food courts will also be allowed to open along with hairdressers and cinemas, though with social distancing measures in place.
From midnight almost all retail businesses including restaurants will be allowed to reopen, and gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed (pictured, a shuttered bar in Christchurch)
Food halls, cinemas, hairdressers and dentists are also set to reopen from midnight Wednesday (pictured, a shuttered food market in Christchurch)
The move to level 2 has also been accompanied by the passage of a controversial new law that will allow police to come into people’s homes without a warrant to enforce social distancing.
The bill narrowly passed by 63 votes to 57 – the first of the government’s coronavirus measures to face opposition, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Human rights groups and opposition MPs criticised the passage of the new law, which they said was rushed through parliament at the last minute to coincide with the alert level dropping.
The legislation allows the Health Minister to rapidly translate lockdown rules into laws now that New Zealand is no longer in a state of emergency.
Rules include giving police the ability to shut roads or shops, and break up congregations including inside private homes without first obtaining a warrant.
Leading scientists have also warned that the relatively short gap between dropping to level 3 and then to level 2 means that they have not had enough time to see how the change affected case numbers.
Because of the virus’s incubation time of up to 14 days, people infected just after level 3 was brought in may only just be developing symptoms, they said.
It would then take more time for them to become sick enough to seek hospital treatment, meaning any case spike after level 3 came in would not yet show in data.
Jacinda Ardern (left, with Finance Minister Grant Robertson) announced the relaxing of measures ahead of the release of economic data that is expected to show the biggest fall in economic activity since the Great Depression
Moving from level 3 to level 2 before having a clear picture of how loosening restrictions affected transmission of the virus carries risks, they warned.
The lifting of restrictions will coincide with the release of the government’s annual budget on Thursday.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country faced the most challenging economic conditions since the Great Depression because of the virus.
‘New Zealand is about to enter a very tough winter,’ she said.
‘But every winter eventually is followed by spring, and if we make the right choices we can get New Zealanders back to work and our economy moving quickly again.’