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The entire country of New Zealand has been placed on lockdown after authorities confirmed just a single case in the country. Officials said the case was likely caused by the highly contagious Delta variant. They believe that strict measures are necessary to prevent the virus from spreading.
The country-wide lockdown will last for three days, while residents of Auckland, where the infected 58-year-old man lives, and Coromandel, a city he recently visited, would be shut down for seven days. Officials said they have identified at least 23 potential sites of transmission in the two cities.
Under the level 4 lockdown, all schools and non-essential businesses must close down, and all residents must stay at home.
"We are one of the last countries in the world to have the Delta variant in our community," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. "We're in the position to learn from experience overseas, and what actions work, and what actions don't work."
"Delta has been called a gamechanger -- and it is. It means we need to again go hard and early to stop the spread. We have seen what can happen elsewhere if we fail to get on top of it. We only get one chance," she added.
New Zealand has managed to keep the pandemic under control by closing its borders and enacting strict lockdowns. The country has not had an outbreak since February and has seen just 26 people die from COVID-19.
Despite containing the spread of the coronavirus, New Zealand has struggled to get its population vaccinated. According to the BBC, just 20% of the country's five million residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 33% have received their first dose.