New Zealand was among the first countries that had flattened the curve and won the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, garnering praises from people around the world, but after more than three months of no cases, the country has placed its biggest city back in lockdown this Wednesday, Aug. 12, after recording new COVID-19 cases.
Breaking the Streak
According to a report by NBC News, four members of a family in Auckland tested positive for the virus via local transmission.
While the family has not traveled overseas, two tested positive members have reportedly visited tourist sites in Rotorua, a town 140 miles southwest of the city, which complicates the matter further and increases the possibility of more people being infected.
The four confirmed new COVID-19 cases had been confirmed Tuesday night, Aug. 11.
Due to the new cases, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who became famous globally for her swift actions against COVID-19 earlier this year, has immediately reimposed level 3 restriction and locked the Auckland city, at least until Friday.
Authorities had to do contact tracing and test anyone who might have been in close contact with the said patients, but the lockdown should help them with enough time for that, Ardern said.
Furthermore, the prime minister urged everyone across the whole nation to maintain social distancing.
Auckland is Back on Lockdown
The city, which is home to 1.7 million people, had little to no time to prepare to go back inside their homes, go back to remote working if possible, and wear strict safety measures such as wearing masks.
According to CNN, schools will also be closed for three days, while non-essential shops such as restaurants and bars will have to close down, while public venues like pools, museums, and libraries could remain open as long as they comply with the public health measures.
Gatherings of 10 or more people will be prohibited, and citizens can only go out for essential runs to the pharmacy and grocery.
The police also blocked the roads to discourage anyone from fleeing and entering the city while it's on lockdown.
"We Can Do it Again"
"As we have seen in other countries where a resurgence occurs, it's incredibly important to act early," said Ashley Bloomfield, New Zealand's Director-General of Health. "We have done this before, and we can do it again."
A report from The Guardian, the country is preparing to conduct "tens of thousands" of tests to determine the source of the new COVID-19 cases.
As mass testing began, long queues were reported outside of the COVID-19 testing centers in the city.
As of writing, the country's health officials are still uncertain where the virus might have come from, but they suspect it might have been imported by freight.
"If we get our immediate response right in this critical phase, we have the opportunity to lessen the time that we will have those heavier restrictions, and that's a lesson that we have all learned together," Ardern said.
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Written by: Nhx Tingson
