Today (Sunday, August 9) marks 100 days since New Zealand successfully halted the spread of COVID-19 in the country - a rarity in a world that is currently still being ravaged by the disease.
In New Zealand, life has pretty much returned to normal, with its five million residents once again filling stadiums to watch rugby games and dining out without the fear of becoming infected.
Per the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, New Zealand has currently seen 1,569 cases of COVID-19 in the country, resulting in 22 deaths - with the first case being reported back in February.
In the UK, there have been 311,488 reported cases of the novel coronavirus and over 46,000 deaths. And in the United States, 4,998,105 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, resulting in a current total of 162,430 deaths.
Speaking about the impressive milestone, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield warned New Zealanders that a spike could reoccur at any moment if people become complacent.
In a statement, he said: "Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can't afford to be complacent.
"We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand."
Per The Guardian, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the country would be completely lifting their COVID-19 restrictions back on June 8.
At the time of her announcement, the country had not had a new case of the coronavirus reported for 17 days.
At a news conference in Wellington back in June, Arden said: "We are ready," adding that the people of New Zealand had "united in unprecedented ways to crush the virus".
As reported by BBC News, Arden, 39, told reporters she "did a little dance" after being told the news by health officials, and went on to explain what would be next for the country, saying:
"While we're in a safer, stronger position there's still no easy path back to pre-Covid life, but the determination and focus we have had on our health response will now be vested in our economic rebuild.
"While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone. So can I finish with a very simple Thank you, New Zealand."
Despite the country's borders will remaining closed, the people of New Zealand currently face no limits on public gatherings.
Prime Minister Arden first placed the country on an initial four-week lockdown on March 25, instructing most New Zealanders to remain at home for most of their day, before she gradually started to ease restrictions.
After over five weeks, the country entered level three of its lockdown phases, which allowed for takeaway food shops and non-essential businesses to once again open their doors.
The country entered level two in mid-May, as Arden strict and precautions measures started to pay off, and the nation saw a continued decline in cases.
Anybody entering the country currently has to isolate for a 14-day period.
Today certainly is a milestone New Zealand should be incredibly proud of...