New Zealand reports 49 new community cases of COVID-19 Delta variant

WELLINGTON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua/APP):New Zealand reported 49 new community cases of Delta variant of COVID-19 on Thursday, all in the largest city Auckland, bringing the total number of cases in the country’s community outbreak to 736.

Auckland has 720 community cases and the capital Wellington has 16 cases, according to the Ministry of Health.

All of the cases have or will be transferred safely to a quarantine facility, under strict infection prevention and control procedures, including the use of full PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told a press conference.

There are 671 cases that have been clearly epidemiologically-linked to another case or sub-cluster, and a further 65 for which links are yet to be fully established, Bloomfield said.

Of the current community cases, 42 cases are in hospital, including six cases in intensive care units (ICUs), he said.

New Zealand also reported four new cases in recent returnees who came from Afghanistan, Germany and Britain and have remained in managed isolation and quarantine facilities in Auckland, according to a Ministry of Health statement.

The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand since the start of the pandemic is 3,340, it said.

Auckland will remain at the top level 4 national lockdown till Sept. 14, with the area south of Auckland has moved to level 3 at 11:59 p.m. local time Tuesday for a week. Northland will move to level 3 at 11:59 p.m. local time Tuesday.

Under the Alert Level 4 lockdown, businesses and schools are closed except for essential ones such as supermarkets, pharmacies and service stations. Life under level 3 will be relaxed to some degree as construction work and takeaway services can resume with the necessary safety measures in place.
The country has moved to a lockdown since midnight Aug. 17 after the first COVID-19 Delta variant case in the Auckland community was identified.