COVID-19: New Zealand PM Ardern announces lockdown; says they 'go strong and go early'

Amid the surge of the highly contagious Delta variant around the world, on Wednesday, the city alleys of New Zealand were mostly abandoned as the nation goes back into lockdown after nearly six months for the first time to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 variant.  

For a longer period of time in New Zealand, it has been virus-free and was leading a normal life without any limitations till when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a three-day countrywide lockdown on Tuesday just after a single instance of Delta variant which was discovered in Auckland, the country's largest metropolis.  

PM Ardern verified the additional case was of the Delta variety on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed instances to seven, all connected to the original illness. A completely inoculated nurse from Auckland Hospital is one of the latest instances. 

The Viewpoint of Prime minister Jacinda Ardern over lockdown

In a Facebook video, PM Ardern said that they have always had their method of reacting, and that's to ‘go strong and go early’. She even said that it is so far better than going light and lengthy and ending up in extended lockdowns. 

As per New Zealand's authorities decided, it is stated that for a minimum of three days, the nation will be under a complete level 4 lockdown which is the maximum alert level. On the other hand, the lockdown restrictions for Auckland will be for at least seven days. 

It has been seen that few people stepped out in Wellington's city centre, which is typically be crowded with shopping and office employees. While in television similar videos have been recorded from Auckland.   

In spite of several repeated guarantees from the government that there would not be a deficiency of good supply, yet there are incidents of numerous panic purchasing emerged after the lockdown announcement on Tuesday, with residents loading up on necessities at shops. Several companies and schools raced to make the switch to online. If the nation remains under lockdown for a longer time, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the government will reintroduce a payroll subsidy on Friday. 

The COVID-19 instances were last recorded in the population in New Zealand in February. Ever since the country's inhabitants have been able to live freely despite the fact that international boundaries have been mostly closed. Around 2,500 documented Coronavirus infections and 26 fatalities have been recorded across the country. 

Image: AP/ Unsplash