New Zealand lockdown: Stage 3 restrictions after new coronavirus cases

Jacinda Ardern has shut down a virus theory that’s been circulating ever since New Zealand reported four new cases.

Jacinda Ardern has sought to silence a rumour that New Zealand authorities knew about the country’s new virus cases much earlier than when they revealed it.

“I’ve had suggestion that we may have had this information earlier than we said,” she said during a press conference today. “We would never do that. I do worry that those kinds of theories do nothing to help us.”

The New Zealand Prime Minister said she went to a public event at 3.15pm yesterday and was first informed of the new case afterwards at 4pm. She said she immediately spoke to her Chief of Staff and the New Zealand Health Minister.

Dr Ashley Bloomfield, a public health official, said he was informed of the virus just before 3pm yesterday, and spent the rest of the afternoon gathering information.

“We needed to have a certain amount of information to be able to inform what are quite significant decisions in moving Auckland to level 3 restrictions, and the rest of the country to level 2,” he said.

THREE COLLEAGUES OF CASE SHOWING SYMPTOMS

Three colleagues of one of the newly-infected people in New Zealand have been isolated after showing symptoms of COVID-19, in a worrying sign the virus could spread further.

Ms Ardern and Dr Bloomfield said the new case’s workplace has been closed while contact tracing gets underway.

“The person only has one close contact in a small team but we are treating everybody in the workplace, which has now been shut down,” Dr Bloomfield said. “It has been shut down and all are being followed up and tested. That follow up will happen from the national contact tracing centre here in Wellington.

“There are three of the husband or the partner‘s colleagues who are symptomatic and being tested, isolated and their households are in isolation as well. That workplace is in four sites across Auckland with a total of around 160 staff. They are all shut down and there is both testing of all those who work there.

“I should add that we are also doing genome sequencing on all those who have tested positive and our recent cases and current cases in managed isolation and quarantine.”

New Zealand is urgently returning to lockdown after four new coronavirus cases within the same family were confirmed in Auckland.

The cases have no known source and authorities are working to figure out where the family contracted coronavirus.

NEW ZEALAND RETURNS TO LOCKDOWN

Ms Ardern announced Auckland would return to stage three restrictions for three days starting from midday (10am AEST) on Wednesday.

She said all aged care facilities will close their doors to everyone but staff and essential deliveries from midday local time.

She also urged everyone to wear masks to help prevent the spread of the virus, noting people can fashion their own face covering if needed.

Ms Ardern said she has one “special request” - that people don’t get tested unnecessarily.

“If you have any symptoms, or if a medical professional or health line recommend you are tested, then please get tested. If you have no symptoms and if you don‘t work in MIQ… and you are perfectly healthy and well, then, please, just comply with the requirements around level two restrictions in Auckland.”

On the country’s upcoming election, which is due to take place on September 19, Ms Ardern said no decisions have been made, noting authorities are “still in the very early stages” of working through that.

Dr Bloomfield today said the family are still in isolation and authorities are still working with them on what quarantine facility they might go into.

One of the cases, a woman in her 20s, travelled to Rotorua - a popular tourist city in the North Island - while symptomatic. Authorities are working to find out what places the family might have visited over the weekend. There are now testing sites available in the area.

“A reminder once again that this virus does not discriminate,” Dr Bloomfield said. “We want to find the virus, and we will, as we are with this family, with anyone who has it, to ensure that their health and wellbeing are looked after and we stop it spreading further in the community.”

An alert was sent to New Zealanders’ phones on Tuesday night announcing people of the virus.

The rest of the country will return to stage two for thee days until midnight Friday.

“I know this information will be difficult to receive,” Ms Ardern said last night.

“We had all hoped not to find ourselves in this position again but we had also prepared for it.”

Ms Ardern said people in Auckland would have to wear a mask when accessing essential services, while people in the rest of the country would have to don face coverings when social distancing was not possible.

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Jacinda Ardern announces the return of coronavirus.

This alert was sent to New Zealanders' phones.

Police road blocks will be set up at entrances to Auckland - and the New Zealand government is working to make masks mandatory for Aucklanders out in public.

NEW CASES SPARK SUPERMARKET PANIC-BUYING

Countdown supermarkets are moving to immediately restrict the sale of some essential products to ensure demand can be met and prevent stockpiling.

The news of a return to lockdown conditions sparked scenes of panic buying on Tuesday night, with calls for calm from Auckland’s mayor Phil Goff.

“I understand that people are probably feeling a little bit scared, a little angry and a little confused right now. None of us wanted to go back into a lockdown, but we always knew this was a very real possibility,” he said.

“I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules.

“Please follow Ministry of Health advice around good hygiene practices and social distancing. If you have symptoms, please make sure you get tested and avoid contact with others.

“We beat community transmission once and we can do again, but that requires all of us to work as a team.

“Like last time, more details will be forthcoming over the next little while, so please keep updated through news channel and official government websites,” said Goff.

Retail NZ CEO Greg Harford told the New Zealand Herald the lockdown was devastating for a struggling sector and another nail in the coffin for many businesses.

“The retail sector has been struggling to recover from the effects of the earlier lockdowns, and spending since March is still down nearly 10 per cent,” Harford said.

“A further lockdown has the potential to be catastrophic for struggling businesses, and Retail NZ is hoping that the new lockdown will be lifted quickly once the full situation is known and managed.”

Jacinda Ardern announces the return of coronavirus.

NO CONNECTION TO OVERSEAS TRAVEL

The cases had no connection to overseas travel. The first case confirmed was a person in their 50s who presented to their GP with symptoms yesterday.

The man had strong symptoms including a fever and a cough, and the man’s partner also had strong symptoms, Dr Bloomfield said.

There were five days from symptom onset until they were tested, he said, which was why close contacts were being followed up.

TVNZ reported the man works the night shift at a business and three of his colleagues are waiting for their test results.

His wife works in a central Auckland suburb and was tested at a West Auckland GP which is now closed.

New Zealand Health Minister Chris Hipkins noted work colleagues of one of the family members were also showing symptoms, with reports at least two colleagues are affected so far.

One of the children attends Mt Albert Primary School, which has been closed for 72 hours. Officials are awaiting the child’s test results.

Ms Ardern said more information would be shared, but privacy issues needed to be considered.

Dr Bloomfield said authorities sprung into action and tested the rest of the family.

Of the six other family members tested, three were positive and the others returned negative results.

They remain in their home for now but Ms Ardern said moving them to a quarantine facility was being considered.

He said close contacts were being tested and had gone into self-isolation. Casual contacts have also gone into self-isolation.

Dr Bloomfield said it was inevitable the virus was going to return to the country.

“This is a tricky virus,” he said.

“The cases are a wake up call for any complacency that may have set in. The important thing now is that we stop the spread of the virus in the community. We need to stamp it out.”

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Ms Ardern said more than one workplace was involved and it was likely it wasn’t just one suburb alone in Auckland affected.

She said the most important thing to do was find the origin of the cases.

“There is no immediate link we have found, as yet, to a managed isolation facility, and there is no connection to a high risk person, such as those who work at the border,” she said.

Workers at the border are also being tested.

RETURN OF RESTRICTIONS

Those in Auckland will have to work from home unless they are an essential service worker.

Schools will only open for students who have parents who are essential workers. Public facilities, bars, restaurants and businesses must close by midday Wednesday.

People can only leave the house for essential services and gatherings of more than 10 people are restricted. For the rest of the country, mass gatherings will be limited to 100 people.

Ms Ardern said the three-day restrictions would give authorities time to assess the situation.

“We’re asking people in Auckland to stay home to stop the spread,” she said.

“Act as if you have COVID, and as though people around you have COVID.

“We have come too far to go backwards.”

Queues of cars wait outside a testing centre on June 17 in Auckland. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

EARLY SUCCESS STORY

Australia rejoiced when New Zealand declared it had no active coronavirus cases on June 8 because it meant a trans-Tasman travel bubble would become more likely.

The country lifted all coronavirus restrictions except its international border control.

Eliminating coronavirus in the community was something most health experts thought was impossible.

The first case of coronavirus in New Zealand was confirmed on February 28 and the government enacted its pandemic response plan.

On March 26, the country entered a total lockdown.

Schools were closed, all non-essential businesses were shutdown, people had to work from home, travel was restricted and social gatherings of any kind were banned.

Ms Ardern declared a national emergency, giving authorities new powers to enforce the strict control measures.

Kiwis essentially went inside their homes and didn’t venture out again for four long weeks.

It was a bold strategy that represented the strongest response to the COVID-19 pandemic almost anywhere in the world.

NEW ZEALAND REACTS

People were quick to react to the news tonight coronavirus had returned to the country, with most welcoming the return of restrictions.

Many said they were thankful for their fact acting government, praising Ms Ardern for her swift response.

“Jacinda is not messing around,” they wrote on Twitter.

While Ms Ardern warned people not to race to supermarkets, people are already reporting huge line ups.

Level 3 announced for Auckland at approximately 9:30pm. 10:40pm at Countdown Quay Street @NZStuff pic.twitter.com/pzdyQDC3U4

— Amanda Moriarty (@whiistle) August 11, 2020

greenlane countdown five minutes ago #covid pic.twitter.com/bYFiTA7s9S

— ⓂⒶⓇⒸⓊⓈ ⓁⓊⓈⒽ (@marcuslush) August 11, 2020

— Additional reporting by Amelia Wade and Derek Cheng, NZ Herald

Originally published as New Zealand lockdown: Stage 3 restrictions after new coronavirus cases