Two of the three new Covid-19 cases that locked up the New Zealand city of Auckland turn out to be a variant of the virus first discovered in the UK.
The three local Covid-19 cases announced on Sunday are a mother, father and daughter from the same South Auckland household, said Director General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield on Sunday at a press conference. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said one of the trios works at a facility that does laundry for airlines.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff told CNN authorities that the individual’s job may be ‘the connection’ to the virus.
Those cases prompted authorities to implement a three-day lockdown for all of Auckland, a city of about 1.5 million people and the country’s largest population center, starting at 11:59 PM on Sunday.
“We’ve been dealing with more transmissible versions, mutations of Covid-19. We want to be very careful. That’s why we’ve taken this very cautious approach,” Ardern said. ‘What we want people to do is stay at home. And so if you’re in Auckland, please stay home for the next 72 hours. ‘
Goff said New Zealand has found success in controlling the virus when authorities “go strong and go early.”
“The government, in consultation with us in Auckland, has decided that we should respond in the same way this time,” he said. “So after a wonderful weekend of watching America’s Cup yacht races and people enjoying the sun and the beaches and the parks and the festivals, we suddenly find ourselves stuck for 72 hours.”
Goff said 6,000 to 7,000 people will now be tested for the virus, and if those tests come back clean, authorities may be able to lift the new stringent measures.
No new cases were reported on Monday, the health ministry said in a statement