Blog navigation

Blog categories

Blog Search

Latest posts

> Home Blog Jacinda Ardern vs COVID-19 (B1-B2)

Jacinda Ardern vs COVID-19 (B1-B2)

1363 Views 2 Liked Posted on: April 12th 2021

Jacinda Ardern vs COVID-19

Niveau B1-B2 (intermédiaire avancé)

The World Health Organisation has praised New Zealand’s plan of action in dealing with COVID-19, and holds up the country as an example to the rest of the world. But what is Jacinda Ardern’s strategy behind New Zealand’s COVID-19 success, and is it sustainable?

GE120421-5.jpg
GE120421-6.jpg

At the outbreak of the virus, New Zealand opted to eliminate it rather than attempt to control it or count on herd immunity to eradicate it. Ardern’s decision was fuelled by practicality rather than ambition. She says, “I remember my chief science adviser bringing me a graph that showed me what flattening the curve would look like for New Zealand. And where our hospital and health capacity was. And the curve wasn’t sitting under that line. So, we knew that flattening the curve wasn’t sufficient for us.”

New Zealand’s strategy of locking down early and elimination instead of containment has resulted in less than 100 deaths to date, has managed to stop the influx of the virus, stamp out its spread, and has enabled citizens to return to workplaces, schools and activities without restrictions. While they are isolated from the rest of the world, New Zealanders lead a free and healthy existence.

In March 2020, Ardern closed the country’s borders to non-citizens and ordered a strict lockdown. This resulted in zero community spread of the virus. At the time, New Zealand reported only 102 cases and no deaths as compared to the UK’s 6,500 cases and more than 330 deaths.

During the country’s lockdown, officials set up an extensive testing and contract tracing operation allowing for 10,000 tests to be administered daily if necessary. In early June 2020, Ardern said, “We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now." However, in August, two citizens who had returned to the country were let out of quarantine early and reinfected the population in Auckland. Fortunately, after a second lockdown in Auckland, New Zealand again eradicated the disease.

In hindsight, while Ardern’s decision to lock down and eliminate right from the start cannot be criticized, it is without doubt not sustainable in the long term. For the world to go back to the way things once were in the country, Ardern says, “There needs to be comprehensive work to ensure everybody could get vaccinated and to put in place a vaccine certification process.”

to praise = faire l’éloge

to hold up = utiliser (dans ce context)

sustainable = viable

an outbreak = une épidémie

herd immunity = l’immunité collective

to fuel = motiver (dans ce contexte)

containment = freinage

to date = à ce jour

to stamp out = éliminer

spread = la propagation

in hindsight = avec le recul

GE120421-7.jpg
Posted in: News

Related posts

This website uses its own and third-party cookies to improve our services and show you advertising related to your preferences by analyzing your browsing habits. To give your consent to its use, press the Accept button.

More information
customize cookies