New Zealand’s 206 new daily community infections on Saturday surpassed the double-hundred mark for the first time. coronavirus pandemic, as the nation scrambles to vaccinate its population of 5 million.
Auckland’s most populous city, which has reported 200 of the new cases, lives under COVID-19 Curb for about three months as it fights outbreaks of infectious delta versionHowever, restrictions are expected to be eased on Monday.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she wants Auckland residents to be able to travel for the Southern Hemisphere summer and Christmas.
“We will not keep Auckland isolated in Auckland during that period – we just can’t do that,” Ardern said at a news conference at his Labor Party’s national assembly.
Saturday’s cases served to remind people of the importance of vaccination as the number one protection against the virus, the health ministry said in a statement.
It said that 78 per cent of New Zealanders aged 12 and over had been fully vaccinated, while 89% had received their first dose by Friday.
Once praised globally for stamping out Covid-19, New Zealand has been unable to contain the Delta outbreak in Auckland, forcing Ardern to abandon strategy to contain the virus. in favor of efforts to live with it.
Still, it has fared far better than many other countries with tighter restrictions that have kept infections at just under 7,000 and a toll of 31 deaths.
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