Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. New Zealand PM Extends Auckland Lockdown VOA News New Zealand'sprimeministersaidFriday thegovernmentwill extenda partial lockdown for thecityof AucklanduntilAugust 26following a newcoronavirusoutbreak, the firstsuchflare-upin months. At a news conference in Wellington, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters there are signs that New Zealand caught the latest outbreak "relatively early in its life."Ardern said sheexpectsthatcases linked to the original cluster will beidentified and isolated. Ardern originally called for athree-daylockdown followingthe discoveryof theoutbreak, in an Auckland family.These werethecountry's firstlocally transmittedinfections in 102 days.Since then, 29 cases, all linked to the same cluster, have been identified.According to the Associated Press, the outbreak has extended beyond Auckland. The only known infections outsidethe cityinvolvedtwo people in the central North Island town of Tokoroa who were linked to the Auckland cluster by a family visit. Officials said they thought the chances were low the virus would spread further in Tokoroa. Several of those infected work at a food storage facility in the Auckland suburb of Mt. Wellington. Officials are looking at the possibility that workers on a freight ship or at the port may have spread the infections, despite physical distancing requirements at those sites and orders preventing ship workers coming ashore. Until the new cases were discovered,health experts held upNew Zealand as an exampleofhow to manage the pandemic. Ardern saidshe believes inher government'sstrategy."We have been worldleading in our COVID response, with the result that many lives were saved and our economy was getting going faster than almost anywhere else again. We can do all of that again."COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus. .