WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s government acknowledged Monday what most other countries did long ago: It can no longer completely get rid of the coronavirus. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a cautious plan to ease lockdown restrictions in Auckland, despite an outbreak there that continues to simmer. Until recently, that elimination strategy had worked remarkably well for the country of five million, which has reported just 27 virus deaths. Ardern said that seven weeks of lockdown restrictions in Auckland had helped keep the outbreak under control. “For this outbreak, it’s clear that long periods of heavy restrictions has not got us to zero cases,” Ardern said.
