COVID-19: New Zealand moves to top level 4 alert as country reports community case

The Alert Level will be reviewed after three days for all areas except Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula which are likely to remain at Level 4 for an initial period of seven days, Xinhua news agency quoted PM Ardern as saying at a press conference.

Wellington: New Zealand will move to the top level 4 alert from Tuesday (August 17) midnight after a positive COVID-19 case has been identified in the Auckland community, which is likely to be the Delta variant, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced here.

The Alert Level will be reviewed after three days for all areas except Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula which are likely to remain at Level 4 for an initial period of seven days, Xinhua news agency quoted Ardern as saying at a press conference here. "Going hard and early has worked for us before," she said.

"While we know that Delta is a more dangerous enemy to combat, the same actions that overcome the virus last year can be applied to beat it again." Under the country`s toughest level 4 lockdown rules, schools, offices and all businesses will be shut down and only essential services will be operational. Vaccinations will also be suspended for 48 hours to ensure vaccines can be administered in a safe environment.

The case is New Zealand's first in the community in six months.

As of Tuesday, New Zealand's COVID caseload and death toll stood at 2,926 and 26, respectively.