The sacrifices we've made and the hits to the economy have been heartbreaking but alert level 1 is around the corner and could be here as early as next week.
What exactly that means for us has been announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
While level 1 allows us to return to enjoying our freedoms once again, Ardern has set out "golden rules".
One of them is contact tracing.
While out and about over Queen's Birthday Weekend, stopping to scan QR codes or fill in a form was something I had to remember to do each time I entered a different shop or restaurant.
Making this a part of the new normal is something we have to get used to, Ardern says.
Hand hygiene, staying at home if we feel ill and mandatory self-isolation if told to do so by authorities, among others, will go a long to ensuring we do not slip back levels.
Ardern has been under mounting pressure from some in her Cabinet and in Opposition to make the move early, given the record number of days with zero new cases and the fact that the economy is suffering.
Her own Deputy PM, Winston Peters, has made repeated calls for an early exit of alert levels and the opening of a transtasman bubble.
I think it's too early for that to happen but moving to level 1 appears to be the right call.
Our communities are revving to go, eager to get back to business and I say bring it on.
We've earned it.
But as we put the foot on the accelerator we should remember that Ardern was right to err on the side of caution.
After all, she had the health of New Zealand in her hands, and the fact that we've had 12 days of zero new cases shows she made the right calls at the right times.
