[ad_1]
WELLINGTON: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged New Zealanders to “criticize” COVID-19 violators on Monday (March 1), as public anger rose over a series of infractions that forced the nation’s largest city to close again.
A frustrated Ardern, who has earned widespread praise for her response to the pandemic, said the breaches that led to Auckland’s closure for the second time in a month were intolerable.
He said some people involved in the latest outbreak had ignored clear instructions to remain in isolation and did not fully disclose their movements to contact trackers.
“Those individuals are facing the judgment of the entire nation, there are consequences, no doubt,” Ardern told reporters.
New Zealand has recorded just 26 deaths from COVID-19 in a population of five million, but Ardern said everyone must cooperate to keep the virus under control.
“If that means calling a family member or colleague for not following the rules, then we should do it. Do it kindly, but do it,” he said.
READ: New Zealand to push for duty-free trade in COVID-19 essentials at APEC
The stay-at-home order was imposed in Auckland on Sunday after it became apparent that a sudden three-day shutdown last month had failed to stop a cluster of infections in the city of 1.7 million.
The concerns centered on a family in which the chain of transmission was unclear, although it has since emerged that they had contact with infected members of another family in defiance of isolation orders.
One of those involved visited a doctor, a university and the gym while waiting for the results of a test that finally showed that he had the virus.
Ardern said that “we are all paying the price” for its actions.
“Everyone is angry … I totally understand it,” he said.
“At the same time, how do we make sure that people tell us the truth because there is nothing more valuable to us than knowing, in these settings, where the contact has occurred?”
The Auckland group currently comprises 15 cases, 12 of them active, and authorities will closely monitor any additional infections before making a decision on loosening the restrictions.
New Zealand’s strategy is to eliminate the coronavirus by following up on each community case with extensive testing and contact tracing, supported where necessary by regional lockdowns.
Authorities have the ability to take enforcement action against rule breakers, but have yet to issue a single fine for not wearing a mask on a plane or public transportation.
When asked if law enforcement should be more proactive, Ardern said it was an operational matter for the police.
“Politicians are not the ones who determine the application of the law, and with good reason,” he said.
“But the provisions exist.”
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
