Origin of the instances, involving the identical household, remains to be being traced as Auckland begins three-day lockdown.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern mentioned on Monday that genomic sequencing of two current COVID-19 instances that prompted a lockdown in Auckland, the nation’s largest metropolis, confirmed they have been the variant B117, a extra transmissible variant first detected within the UK final yr
It’s the first time the variant has been present in New Zealand.
“We have been completely proper to make the choice to be further cautious as a result of we assumed it was going to be one of many extra transmissible variants,” Ardern mentioned in a Fb Dwell publish on Monday.
There have been no outcomes but from the sequencing of a 3rd case linked to the Auckland cluster, all members of the identical household, the well being ministry mentioned.
“This consequence reinforces the choice to take swift and strong motion across the newest instances to detect and stamp out the potential for any additional transmission,” the ministry mentioned.
Ardern ordered a three-day lockdown in Auckland following the invention of the brand new cluster, closing public venues and banning all gatherings outdoors properties, apart from weddings and funerals the place as many as 10 individuals are allowed. Faculties will stay open for kids of important employees however others have been requested to remain at dwelling.
The nation has been broadly praised for its dealing with of the pandemic, reporting 25 deaths in a inhabitants of 5 million because the pandemic started a yr in the past.
The supply of the most recent instances remains to be being investigated.
Border connections
Well being officers mentioned a mom – who works for a corporation offering laundry and catering providers to worldwide flights – and her daughter examined optimistic on Saturday, earlier than the daddy returned a optimistic pattern on Sunday.
New Zealand Director-Common of Well being Dr Ashley Bloomfield mentioned the preliminary focus was on the mom’s office “due to its apparent connections to the border”.
However he added it was “too quickly to rule in or out” any supply of transmission and the lady had not been at work for eight days earlier than testing optimistic.
Auckland, dwelling to 2 million folks, spent greater than two weeks in lockdown final August after a COVID-19 outbreak linked to a employee dealing with imported frozen freight however restrictions have been relaxed for months.
In January, New Zealand reported its first case locally in months, which turned out to be the variant found in South Africa.
The most recent instances prompted Australia to droop quarantine-free journey with its neighbour.
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Kelly convened an pressing assembly late on Sunday and it was determined that every one flights originating in New Zealand can be labeled as “Crimson Zone” flights for an preliminary interval of 72 hours from Monday.
“On account of this, all folks arriving on such flights originating inside this three-day interval might want to go into 14 days of supervised resort quarantine,” Australia’s Division of Well being mentioned on its web site.
The journey bubble was arrange in order that New Zealanders might get to Australia with no need to spend 14 days in a resort, though quarantine was necessary for folks travelling within the different path.