In omicron-free New Zealand, Christmas without restrictions

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealanders celebrated Christmas on Saturday in the warmth of mid-summer with few restrictions, in one of the few countries in the world largely untouched by the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Ninety-five percent of adults in New Zealand have had at least one dose of the vaccine, making it one of the world's most vaccinated populations. The only omicron cases that have been found in New Zealand have been safely contained at the border.

As COVID-19 spread around the world the past two years, New Zealand used its isolation to its advantage. Border controls kept the worst of the virus at bay and by Christmas this year, New Zealand had recorded 50 deaths in a population of 5.5 million.

The delta variant penetrated New Zealand’s defenses in August and its largest city, Auckland, was thrust into lockdown for 188 days. At its peak, the outbreak saw around 220 cases a day. Lately, the daily average has been around 50.

But that success has come at a cost. There were empty chairs at some tables this holiday season because some New Zealanders living and working overseas have not been able to return home due to limits in the country's managed isolation and quarantine program.

The traditional dining tables of a northern winter — turkey and all the trimmings — are common in New Zealand. But Kiwis also celebrate in an antipodean manner, with barbeques on beaches fringed by the native pohutukawa tree, which blooms only at Christmas.

At New Zealand’s Scott Base in Antarctica, some New Zealanders enjoyed a white Christmas. During summer on the frozen continent, the sun never dips below the horizon and in 24 hours of daylight the temperature hovers around 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).

Around 200 people pass through the base over the summer...