ZCZC
BFF-25
NEW-ZEALAND-COVID-19
New Zealand reports no new cases of COVID-19
WELLINGTON, Aug. 4 (BSS/Xinhua) – New Zealand reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with the number of active cases in the country being at 22, according to the Ministry of Health.
It has been 95 days since the last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source, according to the ministry.
Five previously reported cases are now considered to have recovered, bringing the number of active cases in managed isolation facilities to 22, said a ministry statement.
New Zealand’s total number of confirmed cases remains at 1,217, and no one is receiving hospital-level care.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday emphasized that while a number of vaccines are in clinical trials there is currently no silver bullet for COVID-19.
“The message from the WHO is very clear — stopping outbreaks of this virus comes down to public health basics and disease control,” the statement said, stressing the importance of higher testing rates.
“A single case outside of managed isolation could rapidly infect many other people and turn into a widespread outbreak as we have seen occur overseas. Many places that had COVID-19 under control have quickly found themselves in the middle of a resurgence,” Health Minister Chris Hipkins told a press conference.
“We have worked too hard to be where we are to let that happen.”
BSS/Xinhua/MSY/1234 hrs