New Zealand's COVID-19 cases hit record despite vaccination push

CNA
Tue, 19 Oct 2021 12:50 UTC

© Michael Craig/New Zealand Herald via AP

People visit a pop-up vaccination site on Oct 19, 2021, in suburban Auckland, New Zealand.

New Zealand on Tuesday (Oct 19) recorded its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic as a Delta-variant outbreak that dashed the nation's "Covid Zero" hopes showed no signs of easing.

Health authorities announced 94 new cases, exceeding the previous daily record of 89 set in April last year during the first wave of COVID-19 infections.

While case numbers remain low by most international standards, they have been steadily growing since the highly transmissible Delta variant was first found in New Zealand in mid-August.

The outbreak, centred on Auckland, has forced Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to drop her core policy goal of eliminating the virus in favour of ramping up vaccination efforts.

The New Zealand leader is set to unveil a new strategy on Friday that will allow for greater freedoms once vaccination targets have been reached.

About two-thirds of the eligible population have now been fully inoculated.

"We know that vaccinations are already making a significant difference to the outbreak in Auckland, but so too are people following the rules," Ardern told reporters.

Before the arrival of Delta, New Zealand won widespread praise for its hardline approach, which involved strict lockdowns, rigorous contact tracing and tight border restrictions.

The measures paid off, with 28 deaths in a population of 5 million and domestic life near normal for long periods.

But Ardern has conceded Delta was a "game-changer", spreading at a rate too fast for contract tracers to keep up.

Comment: More from Raidió Teilifís Éireann:

New Zealand has set a 90% vaccination target for scrapping lockdowns as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled a plan to open up despite the stubborn grip of the Delta variant.

Ms Ardern said her goal had shifted from eliminating Covid-19 to minimising its spread in the community by ramping up vaccinations.

She said the change meant New Zealanders would not be subject to stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns, provided they were fully inoculated.

"We cannot ask vaccinated people to stay home forever," she told reporters.

Around 86% of eligible New Zealanders have had their first vaccine dose and 68% are double jabbed.
...

"If you want summer, if you want to go to bars and restaurants, get vaccinated," she said.

"If you're vaccinated, you'll get to enjoy the things you love, secure in the knowledge that the people around you and the environment you're in are as safe as possible in the Covid world."

Meanwhile China has registered the most daily Covid cases since September, prompting soft lockdowns to contain virus spread. From RT:

A fresh outbreak of Covid has been recorded in China. One new infected person has been found in Beijing, while the most recent cases, in an Inner Mongolia city, led authorities to impose a lockdown on its 76,000 residents.

Beijing has become the latest city to report a fresh coronavirus case. On Tuesday, officials there said they had identified one new Covid-19 infection in the capital.

Meanwhile, as of Tuesday, authorities in Erenhot city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia have registered a total of four Covid-19 cases since October 13; two cases were recorded on Monday. To contain the spread, citizens have been ordered not to leave their residential compounds unless it is absolutely necessary.
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On Monday, five cases were reported in the north-western city of Xian in Shaanxi province. Those entering the city from outside the province must show proof of negative test results within 48 hours if they wish to visit tourist sites or stay at hotels. Some tourist amenities have been temporarily closed to allow officials to carry out disinfection.

Residents in north-western Yinchuan in the Ningxia region have been told not to leave town unless necessary, while public venues were closed in two areas deemed at highest risk. This came after one case was reported on October 18, according to National Health Commission data.

The southern city of Changsha in Hunan province also registered one case on Monday.