New Zealand extends lockdown amid delta outbreak

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday announced the extension of a nationwide lockdown amid a resurgent coronavirus outbreak fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.

The Pacific island nation will remain at alert level 4 — the highest level — until midnight Friday.

Auckland, the country's largest city and the epicenter of the latest outbreak, will be in lockdown for longer, until midnight August 31.

"The safest option for all of us right now is to hold the course for longer," said Ardern at a news conference.

"If the world has taught us anything it is to be cautious with this variant of COVID-19," she added.

New Zealand went into lockdown on Tuesday, within hours of the first case being detected. It is the first nationwide lockdown since March 2020.

The country reported 35 new infections on Monday, 33 of which were in Auckland and two in the capital Wellington.

After the latest figures, the total number of infections in the current outbreak stands at 107.