New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has postponed elections for about four weeks on Monday over a cluster of new cases of coronavirus in Auckland, a major city on the country’s north island.
The announcement comes after the government earlier this month placed Auckland under a two-week lockdown and stopped a personal campaign due to an outbreak, The Associated Press reported. The election, originally scheduled for September 19, will now take place on October 17.
“Ultimately, I want to make sure we have a well-conducted election that gives all voters the best chance of getting all the information they need about parties and candidates, and provides certainty for the future,” Ardern said.
Ardern added that she would delay the election only once, despite how the virus is affecting the country in the fall. She said “COVID continues to disrupt life around the world” and noted countries including South Korea and Singapore hold elections amid the health crisis.
Before the outbreak in Auckland, New Zealand, a small island nation of about 5 million people, 102 consecutive days had passed without reporting a case of coronavirus caused by local transmission.
Ardern lifted in June the majority of the economic and social restrictions imposed at the start of the pandemic, which made it possible to renovate restaurants and reimburse sporting events and concerts. The decision came after health officials expressed confidence they had eliminated the transfer from the community.
Officials say the coronavirus was probably spread from someone who entered New Zealand from abroad, the AP noted. However, it is not yet clear how the recent outbreak began.
“We do not yet have any specific indications about the origin of the outbreak,” said Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, according to The Guardian.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health on Monday reported 78 confirmed active cases of COVID-19, including 58 from the community outbreak in Auckland. Twenty cases are being imported and are being quarantined, the health ministry said.
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