In light of yesterday’s two positive COVID-19 cases, two additional pop-up testing stations have immediately been stood up and are open this morning at Orewa and Albany. The Orewa testing station is at Victoria Eaves Park and is open from 9.30am-4pm this .
Cases per 100,000
Source: Ministry of Health
The death toll would have been much higher if the early and significant action New Zealand opted for had not been taken.
New Zealand was literally a week away from not being able to contain coronavirus when the decision was made to plunge into a nationwide lockdown, Royal NZ College of General Practitioners medical director Dr Bryan Betty said in June.
At the time, Betty said New Zealand was staring down the barrel of a potential health system meltdown similar to those seen in Italy, Spain, the UK and the US.
With the spectre seen in parts of Europe and Asia looming large, the healthcare system braced for the worst.