Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

New Zealand puts city into lockdown after recording just three cases

New Zealand puts city into lockdown after recording just three cases

A city in New Zealand will go into lockdown after three cases of coronavirus were identified – the country’s first outbreak in 21 days.

Auckland’s three-day lockdown will begin on Sunday night, while the rest of the country is also placed under heightened restrictions, amid fears that a more contagious strain could be involved.

The lockdown will be the first the country has seen in six months.

New Zealand’s Covid-19 minister Chris Hipkins confirmed that a family-of-three, from south Auckland, had tested positive for the disease but that the cases are being treated as unexplained. He also said authorities were tracing people the family had been in contact with.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has returned to Wellington after being set to attend a gay pride event in Auckland. Instead, she will now hold discussions on next steps from the country’s capital.

She announced the move for Auckland after an urgent meeting with other top politicians in the cabinet.

Ms Ardern said they decided to take a cautious approach until they found out more about the outbreak, including whether the infections were of the more contagious variants.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returned to Wellington to be briefed on the new cases


The patients’ places of work and the daughter’s high school have taken steps to stop any further spread of the disease.

It comes after January saw the country’s first coronavirus case in more than two months, when a 56-year-old woman returned from Europe.

New Zealand has been hailed around the world for its success in dealing with the virus and pushing case and death rates down to virtually zero.

People have returned to work, while sporting events and concerts are going ahead without masks or social distancing measures.

The country is set to start vaccinating its population of 5 million on February 20, after receiving their stock of Pfizer vaccines earlier than expected.

At a press conference on Sunday Ms Arden said: ‘I’m asking New Zealanders to continue to be strong and to be kind.

New Zealand has enjoyed almost no local coronavirus restrictions for months


‘I know we all feel the same way when this happens. We all get that sense of “not again”.

‘But remember, we have been here before and that means we know how to get out of this again, and that is together.’

Although all travellers returning to New Zealand have to quarantine for two weeks, the virus has made its way through the quarantine system on a few occasions.

Officials are still investigating whether this is what happened in the latest outbreak.

Mr Hipkins said: ‘New Zealand has kept Covid-19 contained better than almost any other country. But as we have kept saying, there is no such thing as no risk.’

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×