In the face of the outbreak of the Omicron mutant strain, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today (23rd) that it will strengthen epidemic prevention restrictions, and even her own wedding was forced to stop.
Ardern confirmed her wedding would not take place following giving details of the new restrictions. The new rules include limiting the number of events to 100 people who have been fully vaccinated once morest COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019).
Ardern said she had just joined many other New Zealanders who had been through experiences like this because of the pandemic.
Ardern said the outbreak had spread from Auckland in the North Island to the Nelson region in the South Island. A family has flown from the North Island to the South Island for a 100-person wedding. The family and a flight attendant tested positive.
In addition to limiting gatherings, New Zealand’s new measures also mandate the wearing of masks on public transport and in shops.
Ardern and her longtime partner Clarke Gayford have never announced a date for their wedding, but it is believed to be in the coming weeks.
New Zealand’s new restrictions will last at least until the end of next month.
When asked what it was like to make the rules and put off her planned wedding, Ardern said that’s what life is like.
“I’m no different from the thousands of other New Zealanders who have felt the more devastating effects of the pandemic, and the most frustrating thing is that sometimes when they are seriously ill, they can’t be with their loved ones. In. This far exceeds any grief I’ve ever experienced.”
Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, New Zealand has seen 15,104 confirmed cases and 52 deaths.
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