New Zealand has extended a national lockdown sparked by a Delta virus outbreak into next week but warned restrictions would last longer in the infection epicentre of Auckland.
The Delta cluster emerged in Auckland last week, ending a six-month run without local transmission that had made New Zealand one of the world's last Covid-free zones.
While there were 70 new cases reported today, taking the total to 347, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there were signs the outbreak would soon peak if stay-at-home orders remained in place. "We may be seeing the beginning of a plateau in cases," she said. "Our job is to keep up the hard work in order to bend, and then flatten, the (infection) curve." Ms Ardern said a nationwide lockdown imposed on 17