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New Zealand extends Covid lockdown till Aug 31; ‘Delta more infectious’, says PM
After holding a cabinet meeting in Wellington on Friday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the Level 4 lockdown will remain in place till August 31 midnight. “We may be seeing the beginning of a plateau in cases,” Ardern said.
New Zealand on Friday extended its national lockdown for four more days amid the surging cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and warned that restrictions might last longer in Auckland, which is now the country’s virus epicentre. The lockdown was first imposed on August 17 and was supposed to end on Friday. According to news agency AFP, the Delta variant of the coronavirus emerged in Auckland the previous week, which ended a six-month period without any local transmission that made New Zealand one of the very few Covid-free zones across the globe.
After holding a cabinet meeting in Wellington on Friday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the Level 4 lockdown will remain in place till August 31 midnight. “We may be seeing the beginning of a plateau in cases,” Ardern said. “Our job is to keep up the hard work in order to bend and then flatten that curve. We have evidence that what we are doing is working, but caution is still required,” she added.
In Auckland, this lockdown is likely to remain imposed for another two weeks while the rest of the regions in the South Pacific nation can descend to Level 3 lockdown. Under the third level, some businesses, including restaurants and retail outlets are allowed to reopen by using contactless collection methods. The government has still advised people to stay at home and work from home under this level. Gatherings are only restricted to 10 people while shops, daycare centres, schools and public venues are closed.
On Friday, New Zealand reported 70 new community cases, which took the total infections amid the outbreak of the Delta variant to 347. While on Tuesday, the country recorded its highest single-day spike since April when 41 people were detected as Covid-19 positive. Prime Minister Ardern also pointed out on Friday that “Delta is definitely more infectious, and it moves more quickly,” adding that Level 4 lockdown is the most effective tool at the present moment.
Arden has gained global recognition for reducing the spread of Covid-19 in New Zealand. But Reuters reported on Tuesday that questions have been raised regarding her reliance on stringent border controls and snap lockdowns, which have impacted the economy.
(With agency inputs)
