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Jacinda Ardern Pushes Back New Zealand Election as Coronavirus Makes Unwelcome Return

The city of Auckland went back into lockdown after coronavirus cases there broke a 102-day clean streak.

Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand who has been thrust into the global spotlight by her remarkably effective handling of the coronavirus crisis, has pushed back the country’s general election by a month after the virus made an unwelcome return. Last week, the city of Auckland went back into lockdown due to a small outbreak of the coronavirus after the country had been free of recorded cases for over 100 days. Ardern announced Monday that the country’s election will now take place on 17 October. The change of date is within constitutional rules with New Zealand law requiring only that it be held on or before November 21. Ardern’s Labor Party has a huge lead over the conservative National Party in opinion polls.