New Zealand and Thailand record no new cases.

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A food market in central Christchurch, New Zealand, on Monday.Credit...Mark Baker/Associated Press

New Zealand, which has seen some of the lowest coronavirus case numbers in the world, lifted its state of emergency on Wednesday, as it reported no new infections for the second day in a row.

And Thailand, which halted international flights in early April, announced on Wednesday that it had recorded no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time since March 9.

Other countries that have had success battling the virus, like South Korea and Singapore, have seen their fortunes rapidly shift with the emergence of new outbreaks. But the progress thus far in New Zealand and Thailand have officials there beginning to ease restrictions.

New Zealand, which has moved toward eliminating the virus by enforcing stringent measures and locking down its borders, planned to relax restrictions on Wednesday night, allowing people to go to bars and restaurants, attend theaters and museums, return to schools, travel between regions and gather in groups of up to 10 people — all while practicing social distancing.

“This move does not signal that New Zealanders should stop being vigilant in protecting themselves and others from the virus,” Peeni Henare, the civil defense minister, said in a statement. “It is essential we all follow the alert level requirements to ensure we do not lose the gains we have made.”

The island nation has recorded 1,147 confirmed cases and 21 deaths. The rate of new infections has slowed to a dribble in the past month, and just two people who tested positive for the virus remain in hospitals.

Under the new guidelines, New Zealanders are still expected to remain one to two meters apart when possible. Borders will remain locked for now, the authorities said, though the country has considered opening a “travel bubble” including itself, Australia and other Pacific countries later in the year. Venues are also limited to 100 patrons, including staff.

The announcement came seven weeks after the country entered lockdown on March 25, and the new, relaxed guidelines will be reviewed again on May 25, the authorities said.

In Thailand, an influx of Chinese tourists in January kicked off local transmission of the virus in Bangkok, which is normally one of the world’s most-visited cities. The first reported case of the virus outside China was in Thailand in mid-January. A later wave of infections was traced to people arriving from Japan, Europe and the United States.

But the virus has so far failed to take widespread hold in Thailand, according to official data. As of Wednesday, the health authorities had confirmed 3,017 cases and 56 deaths. About 286,000 people have been tested in a country of roughly 70 million people, and 117 of those who tested positive are still hospitalized.

The biggest surge of cases this month came from an outbreak in a detention center for foreign migrants. Human rights groups have warned that disease spreads quickly in such confined quarters.

Thailand began to ease its lockdown in early May, with everything from restaurants to pet salons allowed to resume operations with proper social distancing. Shopping malls are expected to open in the coming days, but incoming flights will be banned for at least the rest of this month.