A news alert is displayed on a mobile phone in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
By Nick Perry
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first reported cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days.
Ardern said Auckland, the nation's largest city, will be moved to Alert Level 3 from midday Wednesday through midnight Friday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home, while bars and many other businesses will be closed.
"These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can find out more about how this case arose and make decisions about how to respond to it once we have further information," Ardern said at a hastily called news conference late Tuesday.
"I know that this information will be very difficult to receive," Ardern said. "We had all hoped not to find ourselves in this position again. But we had also prepared for it. And as a team, we have also been here before."
She said that traveling into Auckland will be banned unless people live there and are traveling home.
She said the rest of the country will be raised to Level 2 through Friday, meaning that mass gatherings will be limited to 100 attendees and people would need to socially distance themselves from each other.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the infections were confirmed after a person in their 50s went to their doctor on Monday with symptoms and was swabbed twice, testing positive both times. Six other people in the person's household were then tested, with three more positive results.
"Importantly, the person has no history of overseas travel," Bloomfield said, adding that the source of the infections remains unknown.
Until Tuesday, the only known cases of the virus in New Zealand were 22 travelers who had recently returned from abroad and were being held in quarantine at the border.
The country has been praised globally for its virus response.
New Zealand initially got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease. That stopped its spread.
Life had returned to normal for many people in the South Pacific nation of 5 million, as they attended rugby games at packed stadiums and sat down in bars and restaurants without fear of getting infected. But some had warned that the country had become complacent.
New Zealanders have never routinely worn masks, but authorities have been urging people to buy them just in case.
The outbreak comes less than six weeks before New Zealanders are due to go to the polls in a general election.
In an all-new podcast, one sports journalist takes listeners through never-before-heard tapes of a teenage Kobe Bryant as he explores his thoughts, his dreams, his goals at the start of his path to becoming an NBA icon. Journalist at the Philadelphia Inquirer and host of the podcast, "I Am Kobe" from Diversion Podcasts Mike Sielski, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
As the world of trading in cryptocurrency gets more popular experts say competition in the space could get bigger within the next year. CEO of Onramp Invest Tyrone Ross, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
As the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday approaches, several airports around the country can expect to see an increased amount of travel. As a result, experts say there could be some expected chaos as travelers try to get to their destination. Host of the Travel Genius podcast Mark Ellwood, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Two murder trials in focus in America — Wisconsin V. Kyle Rittenhouse and Georgia V. Travis Mcmichael, Gregory Mcmichael, and William Bryan, the Men who killed Ahmaud Arbery. Civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Anthony Tall and the Founder and CEO of Kim Crowder consulting Kim Crowder, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Mike Johnson, an alum of both "The Bachelorette" and "Bachelor in Paradise," joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to talk about life after being part of the reality TV franchise, what it's like watching the new season as a viewer, and once again closed the door on the chance that he would return for another stint. He also provided some background on a new partnership with PepsiCo's Neon Zebra beverage.
Protect The Sacred is an organization aiming to educate and empower the next generation of Native leaders. Allie Young, the founder of the organization, joins Cheddar News' All Hands to discuss how she's helping communities amid the Covid-19 pandemic and her initiative called Ride to the Polls.
The holiday season is here and it’s time to prepare your home for a season of cozy hibernating and cheery holiday hosting. David Steckel, Home Expert at Thumbtack, joins 'Your Future Home' to discuss how maximizing where we live, work, and play has taken on a whole new meaning, and now we’re investing in our homes like never before.
On this episode of 'Your Future Home', Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com, breaks down everything you need to know about buying a home as an unmarried couple or any partner; The holiday season is here and it’s time to prepare your home for a season of cozy hibernating and cheery holiday hosting. David Steckel, Home Expert at Thumbtack, discusses how maximizing where we live, work, and play has taken on a whole new meaning, and now we’re investing in our homes like never before; Cheddar breaks down everything you need to know about identifying and getting rid of clutter in your home.
Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com, joins 'Your Future Home' to break down everything you need to know about buying a home as an unmarried couple or with any partner.
On this episode of ChedHER: Founding Partner of Space Hero explains how she's creating a global competition to send someone on a 10-day trip to space; Founder of My Social Canvas and Boss Beauties discusses the significance of the Boss Beauties NFTs being displayed at the New York Stock Exchange; Head of Digital Products & Channels at Chase breaks down small steps to improve your finances.
