Throughout much of the pandemic, proponents of Zero Covid and lockdown have promoted the island nation of New Zealand as a success story. Since the beginning of March 2022, however, this success has turned sour. Covid cases in New Zealand have exploded, with cumulative cases per capita now exceeding US levels. If New Zealand case rates continue to grow as they have in the recent past, cumulative per-capita cases will exceed those in the UK and the EU in the coming months. Early Zero Covid success On 28 February 2020, New Zealand's public-health authorities identified the nation's first Covid patient - a traveller from Iran, where a large outbreak of Covid cases was then proceeding. New Zealanders panicked, stocking up on food, toilet paper and other necessities. Rumours surfaced that the New Zealand government planned to impose lockdowns, including mandatory stay-at-home orders. On 19 March 2020, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, swatted away the rumours, telling people...