Prognosis

One Virus Case Puts New Zealand Into Nationwide Lockdown

Ardern assumes community case is infectious delta variant
Kiwi dollar falls as investors pare bets on RBNZ rate hike

WATCH: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put the nation into a three-day lockdown after the discovery of the first community case of Covid-19 since February. (Source: Bloomberg)

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By Tracy Withers

August 17, 2021 at 6:30 AM UTC

Updated on

August 17, 2021 at 8:54 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put the nation into a three-day lockdown after the discovery of the first community case of Covid-19 since February.

The snap lockdown will begin at midnight tonight as authorities rush to identify the source of a single infection in largest city Auckland, Ardern said at a news conference Tuesday in Wellington. While genome sequencing has yet to be completed, the case is assumed to be the highly infectious delta variant, she said.