New Zealand extends COVID-19 lockdown in Auckland
New Zealand will extend the current coronavirus restrictions in its largest city of Auckland until Sunday night, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.
FILE PHOTO: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference held with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo
AUCKLAND: New Zealand will extend the current coronavirus restrictions in its largest city of Auckland until Sunday night (Aug 30), Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.
An abrupt resurgence of COVID-19 about two weeks ago in Auckland prompted Ardern to put the city's 1.7 million residents in a lockdown, forcing businesses to close and schools to shut.
The lockdown was due to expire on Wednesday.
"These extra four days are believed necessary to allow us to move down a level in Auckland, and stay down," she said.
"We want both confidence and certainty for everyone."
Ardern said everyone using public transport under level two restrictions or above will be required to wear masks or any face covering to contain the spread of the virus.
Auckland went into lockdown on Aug 12, a day after the virus re-emerged in the city, ending New Zealand's record of 102 days without community transmission.
The cluster has since grown from four to 101 and its source remains unknown, despite extensive genome testing and contact tracing. But authorities have ruled out the possibility that it came from freight.
Ardern also said more cases were likely and health authorities needed to confirm the cluster was contained before changing the lockdown settings.
READ: New Zealand ramps up military at border to beat COVID-19 outbreak
She added that even when the Auckland restrictions are eased, the entire country could remain at Level Two, the second-lowest rating on New Zealand's four-tier virus alert system.
New Zealand earlier increased the number of defence personnel at its quarantine facilities and border to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Ardern had also delayed New Zealand's general election by a month, after pressure from parties who said they could not campaign with nearly one-thirds of New Zealand under lockdown in Auckland.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
