New Zealand extends its lockdown
New Zealand's leader Jacinda Ardern extended a lockdown in the country's biggest city on Friday (August 14), sticking with her "go early, go hard" strategy to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
People in the city of Auckland will be required to mostly stay home for another 12 days.
"Our overall COVID-19 strategy remains elimination. That requires the ongoing stamping out of the virus, any time it comes back."
Three days ago, four family members tested positive for the coronavirus breaking New Zealand's streak of over 100 days with zero cases.
On Friday - at least 12 new cases of coronavirus were reported, all linked to a 29-strong same cluster.
Meanwhile, the rest of the country will remain on level 2 restrictions, maintaining strict social distancing rules.
Ardern pointed to swift action months ago that proved effective in containing the virus.
Genome testing suggested the new virus outbreak had originated in Britain or Australia, but officials were investigating how the family in Auckland contracted it.
The country's top health expert, Ashley Bloomfield raised the possibility on Wednesday (August 12) that the virus could come in via freight, since once of the infected family members works in a storage facility.
However, he's since said it was more likely spread through people, rather than objects.
