Authorities planned to seal off the northern tip of New Zealand with police cordons, as they enforce a lockdown in the region over fears of an undetected community transmission of Covid-19 there.
Part of the Northland region, about 270km from the biggest city of Auckland, is to begin a level 3 lockdown from midnight, said Chris Hipkins, the minister coordinating the response to coronavirus.
The move follows two cases in the region that lacked a link to any known cases. "It's unclear how they could have possibly picked up the virus," Mr Hipkins told a news conference. "There could be undetected community transmission in Northland right now." The cabinet will review on Monday the decision to seal off the area, where vaccination rates are