WELLINGTON, New Zealand—New Zealand’s government acknowledged Monday what most other countries did long ago: It can no longer completely get rid of the coronavirus. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a cautious plan to ease lockdown restrictions in Auckland, despite an outbreak there that continues to simmer. Since early in the pandemic, New Zealand had pursued an unusual zero-tolerance approach to the virus through strict lockdowns and aggressive contact tracing. Until recently, that elimination strategy had worked remarkably well for the country of 5 million, which has reported just 27 virus deaths. While other nations faced rising death tolls and disrupted lives, New Zealanders went back to workplaces, schoolyards, and sports stadiums safe from any community spread. But that all changed when the more contagious delta variant somehow escaped from a quarantine facility in August after it was brought into the country by a traveler returning from Australia. Despite New Zealand …