WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealanders rallied on Wednesday to share essentials as the country’s largest city was ready to go into lockdown again, following new cases of the coronavirus running a 102-day record run terminated without new infections.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last night that she would expel Auckland after four new cases of COVID-19 were discovered in the city from the same family, despite the international borders’ were closed to foreigners and returning New Zealanders put in a mandatory quarantine.
The government has said the source of the new infections has not been known so far.
Long queues were reported outside supermarkets in Auckland and across other parts of the country as people raced to stock up on food and other essential items before the new restrictions of the afternoon came into effect.
New Zealand’s largest city will return to warning at level 3 lockdown, which would mean people would have to stay away from work and school, and meetings if more than 10 people would be restricted again. The restrictions will be in effect for three days, until Friday.
The rest of New Zealand will move to level 2, which means that social distance measures would be applied and mass gatherings would be limited to 100 people.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins told Radio New Zealand on Wednesday that the government was considering wearing a mask to make it mandatory for Aucklanders.
New Zealand’s successful fight against COVID-19 was considered worldwide, and the Pacific island nation of 5 million was seen as one of the safest places since the pandemic became worldwide.
It marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus on Sunday, but warned against complaints as countries such as Vietnam and Australia, which once had the virus under control, have now returned to battle.
Calls have grown to postpone the September 19 national elections as political parties suspend campaigns due to the new restrictions.
“It will be very difficult to have an election in mid-September as we are now in mid-August,” opposition leader National Party Judith Collins told Newshub.
Ardern, who is seen winning comfortably, according to opinion polls, said she has not yet considered the impact of the new restrictions on the polls.
Report by Praveen Menon; @
.
