New Zealand phases out Zero Covid strategy as Delta variant persists

About two million New Zealanders have so far been fully vaccinated, or about 48% of the eligible population.

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern's government has acknowledged it can no longer completely eliminate Covid-19. Picture: Mark Mitchell/Pool Photo via AP

New Zealand on Monday abandoned its strategy of eliminating coronavirus amid a persistent Delta outbreak, and will instead look to live with the virus and control its spread as vaccinations rise.

The Pacific nation was among just a handful of countries to bring Covid-19 cases down to zero last year and largely stayed virus-free until an outbreak of the highly infections Delta variant in mid-August frustrated efforts to stamp out transmission.