New Zealand Reports 3 New Local COVID-19 Cases, First Since January

People jog past a social distancing sign on the first day of New Zealand's new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) safety measure that mandates wearing of a mask on public transport, in Auckland, New Zealand, on Aug. 31, 2020. Fiona Goodall/ Reuters

In a significant setback to New Zealand’s efforts to keep the coronavirus from spreading in the community, health officials reported on Sunday three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, the country’s first since late January.

New Zealand’s minister for COVID-19 response, Chris Hipkins, said the three cases were a couple and their daughter in Auckland, and that genomic testing was being conducted to see if the family’s infection was linked to any highly infectious variants.