New Zealand has declared itself free from the coronavirus and lifted all virus-related restrictions within the country. Health officials said Monday the last known person infected with coronavirus had recovered. Border controls will remain in place in an effort to prevent infected people from bringing the virus into New Zealand. All other restrictions will end, including social distancing and limits on economic activity and public gatherings. New Zealand’s 75 days of restrictions included about seven weeks of a strict lockdown in which most businesses were shut and everyone except necessary workers had to stay home. The South Pacific nation, with a population of five million, reported 1,500 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Twenty-two people died.
