New Zealand prepares to enter lockdown as coronavirus cases surge
(VOVWORLD) - New Zealand said on Monday it will move to its highest alert level imposing self-isolation, with all-non-essential services, schools and offices to be shut over the next 48 hours as the number of coronavirus cases more than double.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces the new measures against Covid-19 during a press conference on March 23, 2020. (Getty Images)
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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the decisions will place the most significant restriction on New Zealanders’ movements in modern history, but it was needed to save lives and slow the virus. In a news conference, Ms. Ardern said that tens of thousands of New Zealanders could die without these measures.
The number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand shot up to 102, more than double since Friday, as the country reported 36 new infections. New Zealand has had no deaths.