New Zealand has recorded its first cases of COVID-19 in 102 days, with four members of single-family testing positive.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the cases in an emergency update tonight and said the nation is prepared to fight off the new outbreak.
"We have a resurgence plan that we are now activating," she said.
"That plan is based on everything that we have learned as a country to date about COVID-19. It's also based on what we've seen from resurgence overseas."
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the first infection was identified in a person in their 50s who presented to an Auckland GP and tested positive twice.
Three of six other family members of the person also tested positive for COVID-19.
The original case has no history of overseas travel, so all close contacts and work colleagues across multiple workplaces have been tested and placed into isolation.
The exact source of the infection remains unknown.
"These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can find out more about how this case arose and make decisions about how to respond to it once we have further information," Prime Minister Ardern said.
"I know that this information will be very difficult to receive.
"We had all hoped not to find ourselves in this position again. But we had also prepared for it. And as a team, we have also been here before."
Until today, the only known cases of the virus in New Zealand were 22 travellers who had recently returned from abroad and were being held in quarantine at the border.
The country has been praised globally for its virus response.
New Zealand initially got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease. That stopped its spread.
Life had returned to normal for many people in the South Pacific nation of five million, as they attended rugby games at packed stadiums and sat down in bars and restaurants without fear of getting infected.
Auckland heading back into lockdown
Ms Ardern said a "rapid health response" would be activated in Auckland, with the city re-entering stage three lockdown restrictions from midday tomorrow for the next three days.
It will mean residents will be required to stay home unless for essential movements such as going to the supermarket or for local exercise.
Employees in Auckland will be required to work from home unless they are an essential worker and schools will be shut down for everyone except for essential workers' children.
"One of the most important lessons we've learned from overseas is the need to go hard and go early and stamp out flare ups to avoid the risk of wider outbreak," Ms Ardern said.
"As disruptive as it is, a strong and rapid health response remains the best long term economic response.
"In line with our precautionary approach, we will be asking Aucklanders to take swift action with us."
Outside of Auckland, the rest of New Zealand will be placed back into stage two restrictions from midday tomorrow, meaning social distancing requirements apply and mass gatherings will be limited to 100 people.
What is allowed in Auckland's stage three lockdown
In addition to needing to stay home other than for essential movements, Auckland residents will need to physically distance themselves 2m away from others in areas such as public transport and 1m in environments like schools or workplaces.
Employees will need to work from home unless it is not possible and businesses can stay open but are not allowed to physically interact with customers at all.
Public venues including libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds and markets will all close as soon as the lockdown begins.
Weddings, funerals and tangihanga — a traditional Maori funeral ceremony — can only be held with groups of up to 10 people who are physically distanced.
Healthcare will be limited to virtual, online consultations where possible and inter-regional travel will only be allowed for essential workers.
 |
| New Zealand has recorded its first cases of COVID-19 in 102 days, with four members of a single family testing positive, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed |
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the cases in an emergency update tonight and said the nation is prepared to fight off the new outbreak.
"We have a resurgence plan that we are now activating," she said.
"That plan is based on everything that we have learned as a country to date about COVID-19. It's also based on what we've seen from resurgence overseas."
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the first infection was identified in a person in their 50s who presented to an Auckland GP and tested positive twice.
Three of six other family members of the person also tested positive for COVID-19.
The original case has no history of overseas travel, so all close contacts and work colleagues across multiple workplaces have been tested and placed into isolation.
The exact source of the infection remains unknown.
"These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can find out more about how this case arose and make decisions about how to respond to it once we have further information," Prime Minister Ardern said.
"I know that this information will be very difficult to receive.
"We had all hoped not to find ourselves in this position again. But we had also prepared for it. And as a team, we have also been here before."
 |
| Until today, life had returned to normal for many people in the South Pacific nation of 5 million, as they attended rugby games at packed stadiums and sat down in bars and restaurants without fear of getting infected |
Until today, the only known cases of the virus in New Zealand were 22 travellers who had recently returned from abroad and were being held in quarantine at the border.
The country has been praised globally for its virus response.
New Zealand initially got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease. That stopped its spread.
Life had returned to normal for many people in the South Pacific nation of five million, as they attended rugby games at packed stadiums and sat down in bars and restaurants without fear of getting infected.
Auckland heading back into lockdown
Ms Ardern said a "rapid health response" would be activated in Auckland, with the city re-entering stage three lockdown restrictions from midday tomorrow for the next three days.
It will mean residents will be required to stay home unless for essential movements such as going to the supermarket or for local exercise.
Employees in Auckland will be required to work from home unless they are an essential worker and schools will be shut down for everyone except for essential workers' children.
"One of the most important lessons we've learned from overseas is the need to go hard and go early and stamp out flare ups to avoid the risk of wider outbreak," Ms Ardern said.
"As disruptive as it is, a strong and rapid health response remains the best long term economic response.
 |
| Under Auckland's stage three lockdown, public venues including libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds and markets will all close |
"In line with our precautionary approach, we will be asking Aucklanders to take swift action with us."
Outside of Auckland, the rest of New Zealand will be placed back into stage two restrictions from midday tomorrow, meaning social distancing requirements apply and mass gatherings will be limited to 100 people.
What is allowed in Auckland's stage three lockdown
In addition to needing to stay home other than for essential movements, Auckland residents will need to physically distance themselves 2m away from others in areas such as public transport and 1m in environments like schools or workplaces.
Employees will need to work from home unless it is not possible and businesses can stay open but are not allowed to physically interact with customers at all.
Public venues including libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds and markets will all close as soon as the lockdown begins.
Weddings, funerals and tangihanga — a traditional Maori funeral ceremony — can only be held with groups of up to 10 people who are physically distanced.
Healthcare will be limited to virtual, online consultations where possible and inter-regional travel will only be allowed for essential workers.
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