Misbah Ali

New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, will remain under the strictest lockdown until September 21, 2021 after 33 new infections of coronavirus were recorded on September 13, 2021.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the curbs are aimed at restricting the highly transmissible variant of the delta.

“We don’t want to risk the sacrifices that everyone has put in and all the hard work being in vain,” Ardern said, referring to the easing of the Level 4 curbs in Auckland.

She added that due to the risk of spreading coronavirus from Auckland the rest of New Zealand will remain at alert level 2 until next week.

“As long as there is an epidemic in Auckland that continues to spread, there is a risk that we will all suffer the consequences,” Ardern said.

New Zealand has been combating an outbreak that came from Australia last month. As of September 13, 2021, 955 infections have been witnessed and 21 infected are in hospital, while four people are in intensive care.

The Ardern administration is pursuing an unusual strategy to try to eliminate the deadly virus.