WELLINGTON • New Zealand announced yesterday that it was shutting down its largest city, Auckland, after four new cases of Covid-19 were discovered there, the first evidence of domestic transmission after being coronavirus-free for 102 days.
New Zealand's successful fight against Covid-19 was hailed globally and the Pacific island nation of five million was seen as one of the safest places, as the pandemic raged worldwide.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the four cases were within one family in South Auckland. One person is in the 50s age group, and they had no history of international travel. Family members have been tested and contact tracing is under way.
Mr Bloomfield said the unknown nature of the new cases meant it was likely there would be more positive cases in the coming days.
News of the cases sparked panic across the country, with media reports on people rushing to supermarkets to stock up on supplies, and businesses preparing to shut.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Auckland would move to the Level 3 restriction from noon today as a "precautionary approach", meaning people should stay away from work and school, and gatherings of more than 10 people would again be restricted. New Zealand has a four-level alert system.
The restriction would be applied for three days until Friday, which she said would allow enough time to assess the situation, gather information and make sure there was widespread contact tracing.
She added that travel into Auckland, on the North Island, would be restricted unless one lives there.
Ms Ardern also said the rest of New Zealand would enter alert Level 2 from midday today for three days. This would mean social distancing measures would be applied again and mass gatherings would be limited to 100 people.
"This is something we have prepared for," she said in a news conference. "We have had a 102 days (record) and it was easy to feel New Zealand was out of the woods. No country has gone as far as we did without having a resurgence. And because we were the only ones, we had to plan."
New Zealand is set to vote in a national election on Sept 19, in which Ms Ardern is expected to win comfortably, according to opinion polls, on the back of her handling of the outbreak.
But the return of the virus could backfire on the government.
Ms Ardern said she has not given any consideration to the impact of the new restrictions on the polls at this stage, and campaigning over the next few days would not take place in Auckland.
The main opposition National Party leader Judith Collins said: "This will come as a shock to all New Zealanders... (We) will be seeking an explanation and clear answers about the situation we now find ourselves in."
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said: "I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules."
New Zealand was placed under a tight lockdown for weeks after it reported its first known case on Feb 26, and the last case of community transmission was detected on May 1.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
