New Zealand is currently under a level 4 lockdown in persuit of eliminating the covid virus.
This simply isn’t possible for various reasons, each reason on it’s own merits is suffice to justify that its not possible.
1/ New Zealand is surrounded by sea, so it’s theoratically easy to control the borders, but so far, there have been 11 border breaches. Each time this happens, it cost @ 1 Billion dollars a week to lockdown the country. In conclusion, this option isn’t feasible as the capability to keep it out just isn’t there.
2/ Even if you do eliminate it, it will eventually turn up again via an International traveller, which means locking down the country again. The only alternative then is to retrict International travel forever.
3/ Simply vaccinating the whole country won’t work. There has never been a vaccination that is 100%. Any virus mutates much faster than a vaccine can be created. This is why there is a yearly vaccine for the common flu and that it’s only effective for last years variant. Iceland & Israel presently have a very high % of their population vaccinated and the virus has come back with a vengeance.
Having said all that, New Zealand will likely carry on down the path of eliminating the virus. Kiwi’s are infatuated with their female Prime Minister who is a very good communicater and not much else.
To the average Kiwi, facts don’t matter as much as “feelz”. No one is happy with the latest lockdown, but no one is held to account for why it had to happen (again). It is notable the nationwide lockdown happened because of one confirmed case of the latest “Delta” variant.
The fact that the PM is slipping in the polls would have nothing to do with it ‘wink’ ‘wink’
In conclusion, NZ is going to become a lot poorer and isolated, and Kiwi’s are going to suffer a lot of pain, and it will take decades to repay the resultant debt. Whether they will ask why is another question, but given their apathy and blind obediance to a show pony of a PM, the image below becomes quite relevent .
Update 27 August
The NZ prime minister Jacinda in her latest speech from the podium has indicated there may be a softening of the elimination strategy
Uncoffined 
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