World
New Zealand in lockdown as UK variant cases reported
A coronavirus outbreak that sent New Zealand’s biggest city into a snap lockdown over the weekend involved the more transmissible UK variant, health officials confirmed on Monday, the first time the strain has been detected locally.
Auckland’s nearly 2 million residents were plunged into a new three-day lockdown on Sunday after three new Covid-19 cases were detected in the city.
Genome sequencing of two of the cases — all three are immediate family — revealed they were the B1.1.7 variant. The source of the cases remains unknown, authorities said, adding they were scanning international genome databases for a match.
