Plan to seal off northern tip of New Zealand with police cordons

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, Reuters reported.

Part of the Northland region, about 270 km 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,” Hipkins told a news conference.

“There could be undetected community transmission in Northland right now.”