The strict level 4 national lockdown is extended by three days until midnight on Aug. 27 while Auckland will have restrictions in place at least until Aug. 31
Authorities reported 41 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections in New Zealand to 148, the Director-General of Health Chief Ashley Bloomfield said at a news conference.
The numbers were not rising exponentially, and the majority of the cases were still centred in Auckland where the recent outbreak started, the authorities further added.
That is the newest case since April 2020, according to a graphic on the Ministry of Health website. Of the new cases, 38 are in Auckland, and three are in Wellington.
Since February, the South Pacific nation’s virus-free run ended last week after an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus erupted in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, and quickly spread to the capital Wellington.
“A strong public health response is still the best economic response.”
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern
“It is reassuring that we are not seeing an exponential increase,” Bloomfield said, adding that with most cases being reported in Auckland, it indicated infections were not widespread.
However, the health ministry said in a statement later on Tuesday that it would not be unexpected to see a rise in daily case numbers at this stage of the outbreak. At its peak last year, New Zealand had a daily total of 89 new cases.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has garnered global praise for stamping out COVID-19 in the country.
But, her reliance on strict border controls and snap lockdowns that have impacted the economy has been called into question amid the latest outbreak, which has occurred while few people have been vaccinated.
On Monday, Ardern extended the strict level 4 national lockdown by three days until midnight on Aug. 27, while Auckland will have restrictions in place at least until Aug. 31.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the government has enough funds to tackle the latest outbreak, and the economy has been “incredibly resilient”.
“A strong public health response is still the best economic response,” he said in the news conference.
************************************************************************
Dear Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. We have taken the small step forward and have pledged to give out news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Perhaps, what is most important is that we’re committed to keeping our reporting open for all readers.
In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: Email – pravasisamwad00@gmail.com
************************************************************************