New Zealand reports 13 new community virus cases amid outbreak

New Zealand recorded 13 new local cases of the coronavirus on Thursday and said it will transfer anyone infected into quarantine facilities, as the government attempts to stamp out the nation’s first outbreak in more than three months. The cluster of infections in the largest city of Auckland now stands at 17 people and the government will decide tomorrow whether to extend a three-day lockdown there. Health Director-General Ashley Bloomfield told reporters in Wellington that he expects the number of infections to grow, and the mandatory quarantine would help stop the spread of the virus through households. After eradicating community transmission, New Zealand’s 102-day COVID-free run ended this week when four new cases were detected in an Auckland household, from a yet-to-be determined source. Officials are heeding lessons from countries such as Japan and Australia, where a reliance on self-isolation at home has failed to prevent a rapid spread of the infection. Nations such as South Korea have had better success by isolating cases outside of their homes. New Zealand now has 36 active cases, which includes 19 people who tested positive during the 14-day quarantine that’s mandatory for anyone returning to the country from overseas.