New Zealand sees success in curbing the Delta outbreak as new cases sink

WELLINGTON, Sept. 3 (Reuters) – New Zealand reported 28 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, a sharp drop from the past few days, as authorities said the country was breaking the transmission chain. variant Delta of the coronavirus, highly infectious. .

Authorities said there were 27 new cases in Auckland and one in Wellington. Friday’s figures were lower than the 49 new cases reported on Thursday and 75 the day before.

“While fall is encouraging, we are aware that these outbreaks can have a long queue …,” public health director Dr. Caroline McEnlay told a news conference.

“We are succeeding in breaking the transmission chain,” he said.

Except for a few cases in February, New Zealand had been largely free of coronavirus until the Delta outbreak prompted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to order the instant closure last month.

About 1.7 million people in Auckland’s largest city still remain strictly level 4 closed. Borders have been lowered in other countries, but schools and offices, as well as cafes, restaurants and all public premises remain closed. Most New Zealanders have been asked to stay indoors.

The Ardern closures and the closing of international borders since March 2020 have been accredited as COVID-19 councilors, largely freeing up the day-to-day activities of the curbs.

But the government is facing questions about a delay in the deployment of vaccines that has left most of the population exposed to the latest outbreak.

Just over a quarter of New Zealand’s 5.1 million people have been completely vaccinated, the slowest rate among the rich nations of the OECD grouping.

New Zealand has reported 3,372 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and 26 related deaths.

Praveen Menon Reports; Edited by Christopher Cushing and Michael Perry

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