New Zealand's response to the Covid-19 pandemic has drawn much attention in recent times. The country has the slowest vaccination rate among developed nations and is experiencing the economic pressure of prolonged isolation.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won global praise for stamping out Covid-19 on the island nation last year and the country was virus-free for around six months – that was until the latest outbreak earlier this month.
New Zealanders, who had so far lived without curbs, suddenly found themselves subjected to a snap three-day nationwide lockdown imposed on 17 August after a case of the coronavirus was confirmed.