After 102 days coronavirus-free, New Zealand had just recorded four new COVID-19 cases, meaning even the country leading the world in pandemic control isn’t in the clear just yet.
All four people are from the same family in Auckland, and the first of them to become infected had no known recent travel history.
“While we have worked hard to avoid this scenario, we have also prepared for it,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at an emergency press conference on Tuesday night.
The news has pushed Auckland back into Level 3 restrictions for the next three days, while the rest of the country will now have Level 2 restrictions. The last time the country was in lockdown was in early June.
That means bars, restaurants and other businesses in Auckland will once again be closed, while anyone from outside the city won’t be able to enter for the time being.
Auckland residents will also only be allowed to leave to house to work, shop for essentials or access medical care.
The country’s Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, told Kiwis their progress hadn’t necessarily been lost.
“We have been saying for some weeks that it was inevitable that New Zealand would get another case of community transmission,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister called on people to hunker down for the next few days in order for the wave to pass as quickly as possible.
“My request is not to be dispirited or disheartened. When we’ve rolled out our plans before it has worked,” Ardern added.
“Please stay home if you are in Auckland. Be vigilant. We will get through this.”
“We know what to do because we’ve successfully done it before.”
