WELLINGTON (HRNW) – New Zealand rushed to track the source of a sudden return of the coronavirus Thursday as the number of new cases in its biggest city rose to 17 and officials warned more infections were inevitable.
National health chief Ashley Bloomfield said there were 13 new confirmed infections in Auckland, all linked to four family members found on Tuesday, ending the country’s record of 102 days without community transmission.
The surge in new cases raised the prospect that a three-day lockdown imposed in Auckland since midday Wednesday would be extended as teams of health workers hunted for the cluster’s origin and ramped up testing in the city.
Bloomfield said among the new cases was a student at one of New Zealand’s largest high schools, attended by more than 3,000 children.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there were likely to be more cases linked to the recent spike.
“As with our first outbreak, things will get worse before they get better,” she said in a televised address.
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