New Zealand Reports 4 More COVID-19 Cases as Delta Variant Spreads

A deserted Devonport main street as Auckland wakes to level four lockdown and four more cases in Auckland, New Zealand, on Aug. 18, 2021. (Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

WELLINGTON—New Zealand said on Wednesday that an additional four cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the country overnight, including an Auckland hospital worker.

That takes the total number of confirmed cases in the country to five, a government spokesman has confirmed.

All cases have now been confirmed as Delta variant and are linked to the original case reported on Tuesday.

New Zealand’s first local COVID-19 infection in six months was reported on Tuesday, and a snap lockdown ordered for the entire nation.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said the country will be in lockdown for at least three days while its largest city Auckland will remain in lockdown for seven days.

By Praveen Menon