OUTBREAK WILL GET ‘WORSE,’ ARDERN SAYS

WELLINGTON The situation in New Zealand will get “worse before it gets better” as COVID case numbers grow and new lockdowns loom, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned Thursday.

“Once again we are reminded of how tricky this virus is and how easily it can spread,” she said during a televised news conference.

The country is scrambling to trace the source of its first coronavirus outbreak in more than three months, reporting 13 new community infections on Thursday.

The resurgence of COVID-19 comes just weeks before a scheduled general election, increasing pressure on the prime minister to get the outbreak under control.

Ardern swiftly reimposed tight movement restrictions in Auckland and social distancing measures across the country after the discovery this week of four infected family members in the city.