Following the announcement of new Covid-19 restrictions, Sunday, January 2022, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has postponed her wedding. The health emergency measures are being put in place after nine cases of omicron variant were discovered in a single family that flew to Auckland to attend a wedding.
Accroding to Politico, The so-called “red setting” of the country’s pandemic response includes heightened measures such as required mask wearing and limits on gatherings. The restrictions will go into effect on Monday.
The 41-year-old prime minister said the “red setting” is not a lockdown. Businesses are to remain open and people are free to move around and visit their loved ones.
However, the island nation of 5 million people, under the “red setting” will have gatherings of people limited and mask rules tightened.
“I just join many other New Zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic and to anyone who’s caught up in that scenario, I am so sorry,” she said, announcing her wedding next weekend would have to be delayed.
“Our plan for managing omicron cases in the early stage remains the same as delta, where we will rapidly test, contact trace and isolate cases and contacts in order to slow the spread,” Ardern told reporters.
Photo credit – AP