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MORE than 50,000 people attended a concert at New Zealand’s largest sports stadium on Saturday (24/4), which organizers say will be the largest live music event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Zealand band Six60 will perform at Eden Park, Auckland. The event will feature fireworks and be broadcast live to countries across the South Pacific. Without the need to keep your distance or wear a mask, the concert is a demonstration of New Zealand’s success in controlling the Coronavirus through closing international borders and rigorous testing and contact tracing.
This is in stark contrast to other countries in the world that are locked in the midst of rising infections. New Zealand has recorded only about 2,600 virus cases and 26 deaths since the pandemic began and has topped Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking.
The closure of borders has had a devastating effect on the country’s tourism industry, although it has now opened a bubble of quarantine-free travel with Australia.
“Our city has shown the world this week that in the midst of a global pandemic, we can live near normality in Auckland, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said in a statement.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is one of the countries in the world that has succeeded in reducing infection rates. In fact, Zealand has opened its doors to travellers from Australia on April 19, 2021. [antaranews/photo special]
