New Zealand Extends Auckland Lockdown, Plans Gradual Exit
- Ardern signals apparent move away from elimination strategy
- Government will continue to take aggressive approach to virus
Photographer: Phil Walter/Getty Images
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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern extended a lockdown in Auckland as the nation’s largest city continues to record new community cases of Covid-19, but presented a road-map for restrictions to be gradually eased over coming weeks in an apparent move away from her government’s elimination strategy.
Auckland will remain at Alert Level 3, meaning people cannot leave the city and should stay at home where possible, for at least another week, Ardern said Monday in Wellington. At the same time, she relaxed some rules around outdoor activities and said greater freedoms would be progressively restored when safe to do so.