New Zealand authorities are investigating whether the country’s first locally acquired cases of Covid-19 were spread by refrigerated freight from overseas.
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has been globally praised for her swift handling of the pandemic, and as a result, New Zealand has been virus free for over a 100 days, until now.
The PM also handled the virus a bit differently than other developed countries; New Zealand targeted elimination of the virus within its national borders rather than suppressing its spread.
It’s undoubtedly a frustrating setback for locals who have been resuming their businesses, stimulating the local economy and more. It’s also a warning sign that local transmissions can randomly appear out of nowhere, even in supposed refrigerated conditions.
The new outbreak led the government to impose a strict lockdown in Auckland on Wednesday.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will expand its quantitative easing programme to $65 billion, and signal its intention to deploy new monetary policy tools.
The outbreak could also affect New Zealand’s upcoming election on September 19.
“It’s too early to make decisions but there is a bit of flexibility to move the election date if required,” said the Prime Minister.
