New Zealand Locked Down [after are mere 4 New Cases] as Jacinda Ardern announces New Zealand's first coronavirus cases in 102 days
Posted 4hhours ago, updated 59mminutes ago
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed four new cases of coronavirus, the country's first in 102 days.
Key points:
The four cases are all from the same family
Officials are investigating the source of the infection
Stage 3 restrictions will be imposed in Auckland for three days from today, while the rest of the country will move to stage 2 restrictions
The infected people are from the same family in south Auckland.
The source of their infection is unknown.
Ms Ardern said Auckland would now move to level three restrictions for three days as a "precautionary approach", while level two restrictions would be imposed in the rest of the country.
"While we have worked hard to avoid this scenario, we have also prepared for it," she said at an emergency press conference.
She said increased caution was required because the origin of the virus was unknown "We have had a 102 days [without a new case] and it was easy to feel New Zealand was out of the woods," she said. "No country has gone as far as we did without having a resurgence.
"And because we were the only ones, we had to plan. And we have planned."
The first of the new cases, a person in their 50s, was swabbed on Monday after presenting to their GP.
The test was processed twice and returned two positive results.
The person has no history of overseas travel.
Health officials interviewed the first positive case, and all six of their family members in the same household were tested. Three were negative and three were positive.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-11/coronavirus-new-zealand-jacinda-ardern-auckland-stage-three/12547678