Fishing, surfing and hunting beckon New Zealanders after coronavirus lockdown
09:05, 27/04/2020, MondayU: Update: 09:08, 27/04/2020, Monday
REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: ON THIS DAY -- April 13 April 13, 2001 SURFING - Kelly Slater from Cocoa Beach, Florida surfs in round two of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Australia. The Rip Curl Pro was Australia's richest professional surfing event at the time, with $250,000 in prize money. Slater is regarded as one of the greatest professional surfers of all time but the 2001 event was when Australia's Mick Fanning announced himself to the world, winning the event aged only 18. REUTERS/Str Old/File Photo
ECONOMY REBOOT
While Ardern has generally received public support, there has been growing criticism that similar results may have been achieved with less stringent lockdown measures, as in Australia.
Ardern now faces the challenge of restarting a $200 billion trade and tourism dependent economy from a standing start, while facing national elections in September.
Treasury has forecast gross domestic product to fall by as much as one-third and the jobless rate to hit 13%, even with NZ$20 billion of fiscal measures announced by Ardern and quantitative easing by the central bank.
Ardern stressed this week's eased conditions were focused on opening up the economy, rather than people's social lives.
"It can't return to pre COVID-19 life," she said. "That day will come, but its not here yet."