New Zealand Is Experiencing A Virus Outbreak
Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : October 21, 2021Authorities in New Zealand said Tuesday that the country had recorded the freshest coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, as an epidemic in the country’s biggest city expanded and officials encouraged vaccines as a means to get the city out of its two-month quarantine.
New Zealand Is Experiencing A Virus Outbreak And Is Pushing Vaccination As A Solution
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health authorities discovered 94 new local illnesses, surpassing the 89 which were recorded twice during the early days of the pandemic 18 months ago. A lot of the current cases were discovered in Auckland. However, seven instances were found in the neighboring Waikato region as well.
In a statement, Prime Minister JacindaArdern claimed lockdown rule-breakers contributed to the spread of illnesses, and she pointed out that many new cases had been discovered among children and young adults.
“I am well aware that the highs and lows of cases are very difficult on individuals, especially those in Tamaki Makaurau,” says the author “Auckland,” Ardern added, referring to the city by its indigenous Maori name. “I simply wanted to reiterate that we are not helpless in this situation. We have the capacity to limit the number of instances as low as possible.”
By establishing a tight lockdown and actively tracking down and isolating infected individuals, New Zealand has effectively eradicated previous epidemics. However, the strategy failed when tested against a more transmissible delta version. Since then, the government has relaxed a few of Auckland’s lockdown regulations, enabling more people to return to their jobs as a result.
Ardern has also launched a comprehensive campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated. On Saturday, a televised “Vaxathon” event saw a remarkable 130,000 individuals receive injections, accounting for more than 2 percent of New Zealand’s 5 million population, breaking the previous record of 80,000. Ardern has pledged to lay forth a plan for bringing Auckland out of lockdown depending on vaccine numbers received.
As previously said, the government believes that it is critical to completely vaccinate 90 percent of individuals aged 12 and older, including a significant percentage of Maori, who are incredibly severely affected by the epidemic.
However, that target remains a long way off, with 85 percent of eligible individuals receiving at least 1 dose and just 67 percent receiving a complete vaccination. Maori have a lower prevalence rate than other ethnic groups.
Professor Michael Baker, the epidemiologist just at the University of Otago, expressed worry that contact reticles in Auckland will be swamped in the near future. Using the example of a circuit breaker, he suggested that legislators consider temporarily reinstating tighter lockdown regulations.”There are embers blazing all throughout the city,” Baker said. It has been a few days since the severe lockdown has been eased, and individuals are beginning to experience lockdown weariness.”
Baker said that he believed it was feasible is for government to keep eradicating the epidemic outside of Auckland as long as tight border restrictions were in place around the capital.
He said that the essential objective of any reopening is to guarantee that the health system does not become overburdened with patients.
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.