The latest Covid-19 restrictions in New Zealand are to be eased but will remain in place in Auckland, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the country battles a Delta variant outbreak.
New Zealand had been largely virus-free, excluding a small cluster of cases in February, until an infected traveller from Australia seeded an outbreak that prompted a national lockdown last week.
Ms Ardern, who said restrictions would be eased outside of Auckland from Wednesday, is continuing to pursue an elimination strategy for the disease. "We are within sight of elimination, but we can't drop the ball," Ms Ardern said at a televised news conference. "Day by day we are making very good progress.