Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, enters sudden lockdown

The two million residents of the city are now in lockdown.

New Zealand has long been the standard when it comes to protecting its citizens against Covid that the rest of the world has aspired to. While Ireland is looking at being in lockdown until at least May, most of New Zealand has gone back to normal. However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently ordered a 72-hour lockdown for Auckland after it was discovered that three family members were found to be infected in the North Island city. The city of Auckland has begun a three-day lockdown that will see its two million residents stay at home, as authorities try to contain the nation's first outbreak of the Covid variant first detected in the United Kingdom. Similar to Ireland, all schools and businesses will remain closed for the duration of the lockdown. Residents of Auckland may only leave the city for essential reasons. The lockdown comes into place after it was discovered that Auckland residents who had contracted Covid had actually contracted the newer variant which until recently had not been seen in New Zealand. Speaking on the decision to put the city into lockdown the health ministry said;

"This result reinforces the decision to take swift and robust action around the latest cases to detect and stamp out the possibility of any further transmission."

Officials are still baffled as to how the new variant managed to get into the country which has remained relatively Covid free and further investigations are currently underway. Family members and close contacts of those who tested positive for the new Covid variant are being tested at the moment but it is hoped that there will be no further cases of Covid detected and that the city will be able to come out of lockdown after the 72 hours as planned.