Health authorities in New Zealand yesterday were scrambling to trace the source of a new outbreak of COVID-19 as the nation’s largest city went back into lockdown.
Authorities had confirmed four cases of the SARS-CoV-2 in one Auckland household from an unknown source and were awaiting the test results of four more people they suspect have infections — two work colleagues and two relatives of those in the house.
The cases this week were the first known local transmission of the virus in the nation in 102 days.
Photo: AP
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said more than 200 people with connections to those in the house were contacted yesterday.
“Our plan of mass testing, rapid contact tracing and, of course, our restrictions to stop the chain of transmission has been in full swing in Auckland today,” Ardern said.
New Zealand Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said one of the people who tested positive works at an Americold food cold-storage facility in Auckland, which was being swabbed to check if it was a possible source of the infections.
“We do know from studies overseas that actually, the virus can survive in some refrigerated environments for quite some time,” he said.
The cluster came as an unpleasant surprise to many and raised questions about whether the nation’s general election would go ahead as planned next month.
Bloomfield said two of the people who had tested positive had traveled to the city of Rotorua while suffering symptoms over recent days and had visited several tourist attractions.
“People in Rotorua and indeed around the country should be vigilant about their health and seek advice if they have symptoms,” he said.
Auckland was moved to Alert Level 3 at midday yesterday, a designation initially set to continue through midnight tomorrow.
That means non-essential workers are required to stay home, while bars, restaurants and most businesses will be closed.
The rest of the country was moved to Alert Level 2, meaning mass gatherings are limited to 100 attendees and people are required to socially distance themselves.
Bloomfield said they would use genome sequencing as part of their effort to find the source of the new outbreak.
Ardern said Aucklanders were also “strongly encouraged,” but not mandated to wear masks, and that authorities were releasing 5 million masks from a central supply.
The nation’s parliament was due to be dissolved yesterday ahead of a general election on Sept. 19 as lawmakers hit the campaign trail.
However, Ardern said she was delaying the dissolution until at least Monday next week in case lawmakers needed to meet at short notice. She said she was also seeking advice about options for the election.
Under New Zealand law, the government could delay the elections for up to about two months. The main candidates have already canceled most of their planned campaign events.
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