NZ will 'almost certainly' see future Covid-19 cases despite having stamped it out, PM warns

New Zealand has eliminated the transmission of Covid-19, but we will "almost certainly" see future cases, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has warned.

It comes as the Prime Minister today announced the country will enter Level 1 from midnight tonight.

Under Alert Level 1, restrictions on businesses and services are "essentially" lifted, Ms Ardern said last week. However, border restrictions will remain in place.

"We must remain mindful of the global situation, the harsh reality that the virus will be in our world for some time to come," Ms Ardern said today in a press conference.

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The update comes ahead of a Government decision on when to move to Alert Level 1.

Health

June 8, 2020

"We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time - it is a sustained effort.

"We almost certainly will see cases here again, and I do want to say that again - we will almost certainly see cases here again. That is not a sign that we have failed, it is a reality of this virus."

The country has not seen a new coronavirus case in 17 days. The last person in the country with the illness has since recovered.