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- 84.1 Public Health
Directives - 74.7 Financial
Response - 100 Fact-Based
Communication
New Zealand has had very strong policy, particularly with regard to its reliance on science and facts and its relatively strong financial response.
Pre-COVID Conditions
New Zealand scored highly on most measures but has a low number of hospital beds and is a country of average wealth.
- Debt/GDP ratio 29.8%
- GDP/capita $42,045
- Gini coefficient (out of 100) NO DATA
- Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 5
- Healthcare access score (out of 100) 86.2
- Hospital beds/1,000 People 19.7
Government Response
Select a data point for more information(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)
Public Health Directives
New Zealand has had very strong public health policy, and it scored well in most public health areas, except in testing and emergency healthcare funds.
- Stay at home order 0
- Public gathering restrictions 0
- School closings 0
- Public event cancellations 0
- Testing policy 2
- Emergency healthcare investments/capita $61.64
- Travel restrictions 4
- Tests/1,000 people 291.5
- Contact tracing 2
Financial Response
Despite a small stimulus package and limited debt relief, New Zealand had a relatively strong financial response to COVID-19, owing heavily to its very generous income support for workers.
- Financial stimulus as share of GDP 10.9%
- Income support 2
- Debt forebearance 2
Fact-Based Communication
New Zealand’s government is very strong in this category, as it has not engaged in misinformation or limited press freedom in response to COVID-19.
- Reliance on science/fact based information 0
- Press freedom 0
COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1
New Zealand is among the best performers in this category, consistently scoring very strongly in all subcategories, likely attributable to its very low positivity rate and very strong policy score.
- Total deaths 25
- Death rate per 100K 5.2
- Total cases 2,162
- Cases per 100K 448
- Percent of positive tests 0.2
- Change in positivity rates +0.2
Date | Status | New Cases/1M | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | May 13 | Social distancing requirements are lifted | 0.24 |
2 | May 18 | Schools reopen | 0.06 |
3 | May 21 | Bars reopen | 0.18 |
4 | Jun 08 | Restrictions on personal movements, gathering, workplaces, and services are lifted | 0.00 |
5 | Aug 12 | Country moves to Alert Level 2 for 3 days following several new cases | 0.59 |
6 | Sep 21 | Restrictions lifted in all but one city (which will be lifted in 2 weeks) | 0.42 |
7 | Oct 08 | All restrictions lifted | 0.53 |
Differentiating Factors
- Increased border restrictions for U.S. and U.K. travelers amidst new coronavirus strain: With mounting concerns about the new strain of the coronavirus, travelers from the U.K. and U.S. to New Zealand now must show a negative COVID-19 test before departure and take a test on arrival into quarantine, along with tests on days three and twelve of quarantine. Read More
- Economy in strong rebound after strict lockdown: New Zealand's economy appears to be in a V-shaped recovery after one of the strictest coronavirus lockdowns globally, with a slight increase in GDP over the past year, attributable to a large stimulus package that helped drive a surge in consumer spending following an end to the lockdown. Read More
- Vaccines for all, including some neighbors: New Zealand purchased enough COVID-19 vaccines to cover its entire population at no cost, and it will offer free vaccinations to its neighboring nations Tokelau, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Read More
- Arden’s COVID-19 response helps her win a huge re-election: Prime Minister Arden and her Labour Party won their biggest victory in half a century in October, keyed by her response in limiting COVID-19's spread in New Zealand. Read More
- Travel and gatherings lifted: COVID-19 travel and gathering restrictions have been lightened as case numbers have decreased with facemasks no longer required on transportation vehicles in all areas except Auckland. Read More
- Recession worsens: The country officially entered its deepest recession in decades due to restrictions. Read More
- Climate change is election priority: Climate change replaces COVID-19 as the issue that matters most to New Zealanders. Read More
Compared with Other Island Nations
-
53.5Indonesia 751,270
Cases 2,747
Per 1M 22,329
DeathsIndonesia scores relatively weakly, a big drop in the past few months, keyed by substantial weakening of travel restrictions, testing policy, and debt relief.
-
61.4Iceland 5,754
Cases 16,862
Per 1M 29
DeathsIceland has a very strong score, owing heavily to its reliance on facts as well as generous debt and income support; its large improvement since January was keyed by significant improvements in public health policy and financial support.
-
79.6Japan 239,068
Cases 1,890
Per 1M 3,342
DeathsJapan has a strong overall score, driven by its generous financial response and a reliance on facts, although its public health policy is very weak.
-
79.1Taiwan 802
Cases 34
Per 1M 7
DeathsTaiwan has a relatively strong policy score, but its minimal stimulus and weak debt relief bring it down. However, the data does not accurately measure its advanced contact tracing, which may have diminished the need for more restrictions; this likely results in a score that underestimates Taiwan’s response.
Further Reading From Foreign Policy
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Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:
Pre-COVID Conditions:
- Debt to GDP ratio
- Infant mortality rates
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- Gini coefficients measuring inequality
- Health access and quality
COVID-19 Public Health Directives:
- Stay-at home orders
- School-closing policy
- Public-gathering restrictions
- Cancellation of public events
- Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
- Emergency healthcare spending per capita
- Travel restrictions
- Contact tracing
COVID-19 Financial Response:
- Stimulus package as a share of GDP
- Income support
- Debt-forbearance
Public Communications:
- Instances of misinformation by leadership
- Limitations on press freedom, censorship
Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:
- Death rates per 1 million
- Case rates per 1 million