A recent cluster of new COVID-19 cases in New Zealand means that many are set to face renewed restrictions, while residents of the United Kingdom, where the omicron variant is far worse, will see restrictions rolled back later this week.

The two countries are particularly stark examples of the way in which governments are increasingly taking different approaches to the pandemic. The divergent strategies for dealing with new surges and variants indicate a willingness on many governments’ parts to treat COVID-19 as endemic and create policies that help people live with the virus rather than aim to stamp it out. Even where cases and hospitalizations remain high, including in parts of Europe, the willingness to abide by capacity limits and other social distancing rules in public is decreasing.