New Zealand Reports First Covid-19 Case After 102 Days; Auckland Put Under Strict Lockdown

In an official notice released at New Zealand government's website, the government said, "Auckland region will move to Alert Level 3 at 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August 2020. It will remain at Alert Level 3 for at least 3 days."

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: After days of heaving a sigh of relief, New Zealand has unfortunately announced to put its largest city Auckland into lockdown post reporting its first local cases of the Coronavirus in more than 100 days.  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday said that the authorities have detected four cases of COVID-19 for which, the source of the virus remains unknown so far. Though the authorities are in continuous efforts for tracing the contact, the centre government has put Auckland under Alert Level 3 starting from 12 noon on Wednesday, August 12 in order to prevent further spread of the deadly virus. "Together we have beaten the virus before, We can do so again," Ardern said in the news conference.

Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 from midday Wednesday 11 August. The rest of New Zealand will move to Level 2. Read more about Alert Levels 3 and 2 at https://t.co/9KOHDHHUR3 pic.twitter.com/19cE66dVjW

— New Zealand Labour (@nzlabour) August 11, 2020

In an official notice released at New Zealand government's website, the government said, "Auckland region will move to Alert Level 3 at 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August 2020. It will remain at Alert Level 3 for at least 3 days. This will give us time to assess the situation and gather information, including contact tracing, so we can find out more about how the case arose." As per the measures and norms under the Alert level 3 in the country, the citizens are advised to work from home as much as possible. The guidelines state that businesses are able to open, but should not physically interact with customers. Moreover, essential services including healthcare, justice services and businesses providing necessities are able to open. However, bars and restaurants will be close. It is to be noted that the the South Pacific nation with population of over 5 million had declared itself Coronvirus free on June 8, after following a strict 75-day lockdown. It had announced to ease down lockdown restrictions in the country and permitted weddings, funerals, public transport to resume without limitations. The country recorded 102 days of no community transmission of COVID-19.