New Zealand Records 4 Local Coronavirus Cases, First in 102 Days

New Zealand is heading back into COVID-19 lockdown as the country recorded four new local coronavirus cases, the first cases of community transmission in 102 days. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the resurgence plan is a “precautionary” approach since they are unsure of the origin of the four cases. The four cases are all members of one family, but there is no history of international travel and no link to someone who worked at an isolation facility or at the border.

Because of that, the country will be heading into level 2 restrictions, with Auckland moving into level 3 restrictions. The update was provided on August 11, with restrictions going into effect starting at noon on August 12. These measures are only planned for three days but will allow authorities to “assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have wide-spread contact tracing,” Ardern said during the press conference.

The 4 Cases Are Members of the Same Family But It’s Unclear How They Contracted the Virus

The four confirmed cases are all within the same family, but the source of the infection is not known at this time. The first case, diagnosed Monday, is a person in their 50s living in South Auckland with no history of international travel. The person took two coronavirus tests and they both came back positive.

Six family members who live in the same home were then tested — three came back positive, three were negative, RNZ reported. One of the positive tests was a preschooler. Although the family members all live in the same home, they have different workplaces. Their colleagues and close contacts were notified so they could also get tested and go into isolation. The family is looking at moving into a quarantine facility.

The Country Is Going Back Into Lockdown as a Preventative Measure While Authorities Gather More Information

Under level 3 restrictions in Auckland, residents are asked to stay home and “act as if you have Covid and the people around you have Covid.” Bars and restaurants will be shut down and people are asked to stay in their bubbles and work from home. Essential services will remain open with food delivery allowed.

People living outside of Auckland will be under level 2 restrictions, which means they have been asked to resume social distancing and all gatherings will be limited to 100 people. Masks are not required in New Zealand but authorities are recommending that people buy some as a precaution. The restrictions will be reevaluated on Friday, Ardern said.

According to RNZ, additional testing will be taking place for those working at the borders and in isolation facilities. Testing centers will ramp up their capacity once again, operating with longer hours. “As we did in the early days of the virus emerging, we need to stamp it out,” Director General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said.

Prior to these four cases, life in New Zealand had gone back to normal, with the exception of strict border controls, and the country had no recorded transmission of the virus in over 100 days. There were 22 known cases of COVID-19 in the country before these four new cases were announced, and all of them were from returning travelers under quarantine in isolation centers, the Guardian reported.

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