Approximately two million people are being told to stay at home
The people of Auckland, New Zealand's most populous city, are being told to stay at home as the country attempts to contain its first outbreak of the highly contagious UK variant of Covid-19.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered the three-day lockdown for Auckland after three family members were found to be infected in the city.
Schools and non-essential businesses in the area are closed and residents are barred from leaving the city, except for essential reasons.
New Zealand's Department of Health confirmed that the decision was made due to the presence of the UK strain of coronavirus in the area.
"This result reinforces the decision to take swift and robust action around the latest cases to detect and stamp out the possibility of any further transmission," it said.
New Zealand has seen just 25 Covid-related deaths in a population of five million in the past 12 months.
Ardern recently announced that the country would be closing its borders for the entirety of 2021.
Just over two weeks ago, 22,000 people attended a gig by popular New Zealand outfit Six60, with no requirement for masks or social distancing.
