Wellington (AFP)
The lockdown of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is being extended for two weeks, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday.
Ms Ardern said the city, which has a population of two million, will be demoted by Tuesday evening to alert level three on a scale of four, because there "is no longer widespread and undetected transmission in Auckland, "she told reporters.
"If everyone continues to do their part, we can continue to eradicate" the virus, she said.
The inhabitants will have to continue to stay at home but some businesses, such as restaurants, will now be able to deliver without any contact.
New Zealand imposed national lockdown on August 17 as soon as the first case of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus appeared.
This epidemic focus was located mainly in Auckland and containment was lifted in early September in the rest of the archipelago.
Ms Ardern said the town on the North Island could do the same when authorities deem the outbreak "contained".
"For now, we continue to see mysterious cases emerging from community testing," she said.
New Zealand is following a "zero Covid" strategy aimed at eradicating all traces of the coronavirus from its territory, which has led to a death toll of 27 out of five million inhabitants since the start of the pandemic.
Deserted highways in Auckland, during lockdown, August 14, 2020 in New Zealand DAVID ROWLAND AFP / Archives
No cases were detected in the population for six months before those which broke out in August, allowing New Zealanders to enjoy a near-normal life outside the closed international borders
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