JACINDA Ardern has been re-elected after her rival conceded in the New Zealand general election.
As votes rolled in Ardern’s party looked to be on track to secure nearly 50% of the vote, while the rival National Party had less than 30%.
Ardern’s Labour Party’s campaign was dominated by the leader’s successful handling of the coronavirus crisis.
In a recent Bloomberg Media survey of global business leaders, New Zealand’s response to the pandemic was praised as the best in the world.
READ MORE: Covid-19: Shocking video shows how UK and New Zealand differed
The country has recorded 1527 Covid-19 cases in total, and the current number of active cases there is just 40.
Three cases were detected in the country today, with all three imported cases detected in managed isolation facilities. New Zealand implemented very strict border controls at the beginning of the pandemic.
Anyone arriving in the country must stay in managed isolation or quarantine for at least 14 days and return a negative Covid-19 test before they can go into the community.
As her rival Judith Collins conceded earlier, Ardern told crowds: “Thank you to the people who worked so hard to share our message. Who volunteered in what felt like an endless campaign.
BREAKING: Jacinda Ardern has won a second term in office after her rival conceded in New Zealand's general election.
— SkyNews (@SkyNews) October 17, 2020
She's thanked voters "who trusted us to continue with leading New Zealand's recovery".
More on this breaking story: https://t.co/4nAJsBNhXm pic.twitter.com/1ajYrG4Cz1
“But most importantly thank you to the many people who gave us their vote, who trusted us to continue with leading New Zealand’s recovery.
“And to those amongst you who may not have supported Labour before – and the results tell me there were a few of you – to you I say thank you.
“We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you we will be a party that governs for every New Zealander."
Collins congratulated Ardern on the win, but said the government would need to do more to navigate the economic consequences of the pandemic.
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