New Zealand PM warns new COVID-19 outbreak will get worse; Total 7 cases reported

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a three-day countrywide lockdown in New Zealand just after a single instance of Delta variant was discovered in Auckland. Now a further six cases have been identified in the country. With this, the Prime Minister cautioned people to expect more cases. Ardern even further acknowledged that New Zealand was battling with the highly contagious Delta strain connected to Australia's breakout. She said that the quick rise to a total of seven cases supported her decision to declare countrywide stay-at-home instructions. As per TVNZ, Ardern said that level 4 severe lockdown must work at this point.

Ardern described among the new patients, one was a nurse at Auckland Hospital, and another was a high school teacher. She said that both of them worked in high-risk situations where the virus might spread quickly. She added that they anticipate more cases as officials disclosed that even with severe limitations in place, the analysis indicated the group would expand to 120 cases. A 58-year-old Auckland male was the first patient who ended six months in New Zealand without any community transmission. There were just 26 COVID-19 fatalities in a population of five million from the beginning of the outbreak. Investigators are attempting to figure out how the guy contracted the strain connected to Australia, according to Ardern. 

She that the variant found in New Zealand was seen in Australia. They have to find out how and when it came to New Zealand. She even said that controlled isolation border facilities are vital to start containing the virus. The three-day nationwide lockdown in New Zealand is the first shutdown in 15 months. This will be followed by a week of limitations in Auckland and the neighbouring Coromandel region. The Prime Minister said that the three positive border instances were reported this month from Sydney, in which a pandemic is still raging despite stay-at-home restrictions administered from late June. 

Even if there were additional cases, Ardern was optimistic that her government's goal of eradicating the virus instead of merely suppressing it would work. She added that following the rules will eliminate the highly contagious Delta strain as the same methods previously worked. She expressed confidence, saying that wastewater testing in Auckland had not revealed any signs of the disease.

Further, four individuals were detained during a minor anti-lockdown rally in Auckland, according to police.  

Image Credit: AP