NO CHANCES

New Zealand Shuts Down Capital After 3 Cases of U.K. COVID Variant

Just three cases of community transmission have thrown huge parts of otherwise COVID-free New Zealand back into lockdown.

The small COVID-19 outbreak that has thrown large parts of New Zealand back into lockdown was caused by the highly transmissible U.K. variant of the coronavirus. The city of Auckland has been plunged into what authorities hope will be a short and sharp three-day lockdown in a forceful attempt to arrest the spread of the virus. The three cases, afflicting a mother, father and daughter from one Auckland family, are the first recorded examples of community transmission in New Zealand since last year’s stringent 51-day nationwide lockdown. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern said genomic testing had shown that the three community cases were the U.K. variant of COVID-19, however she said that tracing has not yet been able to establish the source of infection. The mother worked at a business servicing airlines at Auckland airport, and officials are reportedly looking at whether the virus may have slipped out through a transit passenger, or via laundry of air crew.