When historians assess how countries approached the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand is sure to stand out.
The South Pacific nation is alone among its western peers in explicitly attempting to eradicate the virus. It adopted one of the strictest lockdowns in the world before a single death was reported, and has isolated infections to keep the disease from spreading out of control.
The early signs are promising. The rate of new infections has dwindled to the lowest in weeks, and the death toll — at nine — is one of the lowest among developed nations. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, will decide on Monday whether to start easing a quarantine that requires everyone but essential workers to stay at home.