New Zealand Locks Down Over 1 COVID Case
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern ordered a sudden three-day lockdown Tuesday after suspicions emerged of a single case of locally transmitted Delta variant infection.
New Zealand has won widespread praise for its coronavirus response, recording just 26 deaths in a population of five million. It meant there were no national stay-at-home orders for more than a year and domestic life remained close to normal, with no limits on social gatherings and limited mask use. However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern suddenly ordered a 3-day lockdown in the country. The reason for this is a suspected case of the Delta variant. Ardern said New Zealand, which had not recorded any infections in the community for six months, can not take any chances because the Delta variant can be a game changer.
We have seen other countries struggle to control the Delta Variant. Since we do not want to risk anything we have implemented the lockdown. New Zealand will remain in lockdown for three days from 17 August night, with Auckland and the nearby Coromandel area facing the restrictions for a week. But the country's vaccine rollout has been less stellar, with only around 20 percent of the population fully inoculated.
