New Zealand Puts Entire Country on Lockdown Over a Single Coronavirus Case
Entering its strictest level of lockdown for at least three days.
The entire country of New Zealand will be placed on lockdown after a man tested positive for COVID-19.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a press conference on Tuesday that a 58-year-old unvaccinated man from Auckland tested positive for the virus, marking the country’s first locally transmitted case since February.
While genome sequencing is still underway, Ardern said the man’s infection may have been caused by the Delta variant.
The majority of New Zealand’s population is unvaccinated, but the country has had a no-nonsense approach to handling the pandemic, closing its borders to foreign nationals early on and running a strict state-run quarantine system for any incoming travelers. With a population of five million, New Zealand has only reported approximately 3,000 confirmed cases and 26 deaths.
The level four lockdown will go into effect this afternoon and last for three days nationwide, during which the entire population must stay home and businesses are closed, with the exception of pharmacies and supermarkets. In Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula on the country’s North Island, where the patient had reportedly traveled, the lockdown is expected to last at least a week.
⚠️ COVID-19 UPDATE ⚠️
From 11:59pm tonight, all of New Zealand will move to Alert Level 4 to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. This will initially be for a period of 7 days for the Auckland and Coromandel regions, and at least 3 days for rest of the country. pic.twitter.com/RhhRYX0cmx
— New Zealand Labour (@nzlabour) August 17, 2021
In other political news, a California regulator claims that Riot Games silenced employees over harassment and discrimination complaints.
