New Zealand lockdown: Delta variable alert in pandemic model country

Wellington (New Zealand) – No New New Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Announced today in a televised message to the nation Three days nationwide shutdown After the discovery of the first locally transmitted coronavirus case in the past six months. Doubt is that delta variable.

“We’ve seen what could happen elsewhere if we can’t get the situation under control. We only have one chance,” Ardern said, noting that the Delta version “is a game changer.” New Zealand, with a population of about 5 million, has counted 2,570 cases since the start of the pandemic.

The country is a global reference point for its effective management of the epidemic, which has so far killed only 26 people. However, the vaccination campaign It continues slowly, and only 20% of the population is currently immunized. Auckland’s two million residents have been restricted for short periods, the last time in March.