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24th Aug 2020

Auckland to remain in lockdown following cluster of Covid cases

Rudi Kinsella

covid new zealand

A lockdown in New Zealand’s largest city has been extended.

A local lockdown in New Zealand has been extended in an attempt to ensure that a cluster of coronavirus infections in Auckland remains under control.

The lockdown will remain in place in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, until at least midnight on Sunday (30 August), instead of restrictions easing on Wednesday (26 August) which had originally been planned.

In recent weeks, there have been a total of 101 cases resulting from an outbreak in south Auckland, making it the largest cluster in the country.

New Zealand had previously gone 102 days without community transmission, until 12 August, when Auckland’s lockdown began.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the news, describing 2020 as a “frankly terrible year”.

She said: “This is a contained cluster. But it is our biggest one. And that means the tail will be long, and the cases will keep coming for a while to come.”

“If it feels hard – that’s because it has been. But let’s also remember, in a world where 2020 has frankly been terrible, we are strong, we have been kind, and we are doing really well.”

The cause of the cluster in question remain unknown, with experts saying it may never be revealed.

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