Flight radar shows stark contrast between New Zealand and US travel restrictions amid Covid-19

April 5, 2020
New Zealand and United States flight radar as at Sunday 5 April

A flight radar image of the United States compared with New Zealand shows a stark contrast between the two nations and their approaches to travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tracking planes in real-time, a screenshot taken of Flight Radar 24 this morning shows the United States airways busy with activity, around 1500 flights. While New Zealand had around five. 

As of Wednesday 25 March, New Zealand's Government closed the borders and entered the country into a four-week level four lockdown period. The only travel allowed in New Zealand's airways is for essential travel under alert level four.

The Director General of Health gave an update on how alert levels would be managed as New Zealand enters week two of lockdown.

In the US, the government has advised citizens to abide by social distancing guidelines until May 1 . Those include ceasing large gatherings, work from home, suspend onsite learning at schools and more in a nationwide effort to stem the spread of the virus. A nationwide lockdown or travel ruling has not yet been imposed. 

Yesterday, the USA recorded the most reported coronavirus deaths in a single day for anywhere in the world, with 1158 casualties from Covid-19. 

According to Johns Hopkins University, the total number of Covid-19 cases in the USA as of yesterday sits at over 276,995 so far. The White House has estimated up to 250,000 people will die from the virus. 

New Zealand now has 950 cases of Covid-19, up by 82 yesterday with one person having died.

Despite constant growth in the number of confirmed cases in New Zealand, only one per cent are confirmed to be community transmission related so far which one expert has said is "optimistic" in the fight against the virus. 

Otago University public health professor Michael Baker told 1 NEWS on Friday the lockdown was "absolutely the right thing to do". 

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