With 37 new infections, caseloads of the Delta outbreak in New Zealand rose to 107 on Monday which includes a church cluster in the largest city.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern said that Auckland would remain under strict lockdown until the month’s end.

Meanwhile, Auckland is the epicentre of the outbreak.

The rest of the country would stay indoors until Friday midnight at least.

More than 13,000 close contacts are undergoing rigorous testing.

Ardern Ardern said that the parliament will be suspended for a week considering the outbreak did not reach its peak.

New Zealand’s Covid-9 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told broadcaster TVNZ on Sunday that the outbreak raises some pertinent questions about its pandemic approach.

Hipkins also added with the virus that can be infectious within 24 hours of someone getting it, does not change the game a bit.

Ardern on August 12 laid out a plan to ease New Zealand’s virus curbs.

He said that the government would speed up its vaccine roll-out this year and begin a phased reopening of the border in early 2022.

Across the Tasman, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was highly unlikely his country would ever return to zero Covid-19 cases.

 He also added that the focus needs to shift to hospitalisation rates rather than case numbers.

Morrison on Monday said the country must begin to ease strict COVID-19 restrictions once vaccination rates increased.

Over half of all Australians have been enduring weeks-long lockdowns to curb Delta outbreaks.

Some states have flagged they may not stick to a national plan that would include relaxing border controls.  

With Sydney breaking new one-day records for infections, states in the country’s southeast are worried about a surge in cases.