Covid-19: NZ delivered best health results in OECD, but where to now? (Photo / NZ Herald) Sun, 11 Jul 2021, 3:26PM New Zealand's hard-line elimination strategy against Covid-19 spared more deaths than any other developed country – and also brought economic results that were better than the OECD average. That's according to a new analysis that again suggests a zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19 delivers the best benefits for both public health and the economy. But now, the researchers say, New Zealand and its bubble buddy Australia need to decide what their long-term plan will be. "Internationally, there's still debate over whether doing things to protect public health is bad for the economy," explained the study's lead author, Otago University epidemiologist Professor Nick Wilson.