AP Interview: Advisor says New Zealand used virus luck well

A scientist who has played a key role in New Zealand’s lauded coronavirus response says the nation used it’s luck well to stamp out the disease and is now eyeing other countries to determine when it can reopen its borders

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- A scientist who has played a key role in New Zealand's lauded coronavirus response says the nation used it's luck well to stamp out the disease and is now eyeing the experiences of other countries to determine when it can reopen its borders. Juliet Gerrard is the chief science advisor to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. She described in an interview with The Associated Press the evolution in the country's approach to COVID-19, from the chaotic early days to the risk-reward calculations it faces moving forward. Ardern this month appointed Gerrard to a second three-year term, saying she plays an "invaluable role." Gerrard, 53, a professor at the University of Auckland whose research is in protein biochemistry, was this year awarded the honorific “Dame.” Gerrard said that when the virus first hit last year, the information about it was changing so quickly she would need to scrap advice she thought was solid just days earlier.