After the country has reported community cases for the first time in months, New Zealand will enter its highest COVID alert level.
On Tuesday, the New Zealand Ministry of Health announced that officials are investigating a positive case of COVID in Auckland. The public health department has been conducting interviews with the person to trace their contacts.
The Ministry of Health said in a statement: “While we gather more information about potential cases, a positive and early response is the best tool to eliminate any potential transmission. Everyone in New Zealand is required to remain calm, kind and Play your part. .”
Only a few hours after the incident, new Zealand Said that it will enter a level 4 alert in its four-stage COVID alert system.
At alarm level 4, everyone must stay at home and only leave to buy groceries, exercise, or participate in necessary work. People must also only make physical contact with other people in the family bubble.
Enterprises such as bars, gyms, cinemas, and museums must also be closed, and indoor and outdoor activities such as funerals and weddings cannot continue.
The country’s new lockdown began at 11:59 pm local time on Tuesday the 17th and lasted for three days, except that Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula may be locked down for the next 7 days.
Unite Against COVID-19, a government-run organization, stated that the lockdown was “in response to an outbreak in the Auckland community and is currently under investigation and may be related to the Delta variant.”
The last community outbreak in New Zealand occurred in February. ABC News report.
Strict border control
Throughout the pandemic, New Zealand Largely avoided the COVID outbreak Through a combination of blockades and very strict border controls-this country is closed to almost all non-residents or citizens.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, New Zealand has only reported 26 deaths and 2,927 cases since the pandemic began.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously stated that if the country’s vaccine promotion is completed, the country may begin to reopen to international tourists in early 2022-but so far, the promotion has been relatively slow.
As of August 16, the country had received 2,554,150 doses of COVID vaccine. Among them, 934,207 is the second dose.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the vaccination rate has increased in recent weeks, but the number of people fully vaccinated in New Zealand accounts for only 17.25% of the country’s total population.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty
