New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she has decided to cancel her wedding plans with her fiance Clarke Gayford due to the spread of Omicron. The highly-contagious variant of the coronavirus has already started to spread throughout the country, and it is expected to infect thousands of people in the coming weeks.
In preparation for the spread, New Zealand will be placed on alert, which the government said will be much more lenient compared to a total lockdown. Health officials said they expect the case count to surge to more than 1,000 per day in the coming weeks as Omicron has proven to be difficult to control.
Ardern said on Sunday that she has decided to postpone her wedding, which would have taken place next month at Gisborne near New Zealand's eastern coast. Ardern said that she is no different from all the people affected by the pandemic. When asked about her wedding cancelation during an interview, Ardern remarked, "Such is Life."
Ardern assured the public that the government would do everything it could to slow the spread. However, it warned that even if it does impose restrictions, an outbreak of Omicron is inevitable.
So far, health officials have reported nine cases of Omicron in New Zealand. The infected individuals were part of a group that traveled to Auckland to attend a wedding and other events. Officials have not yet determined if the individuals were infected by someone at the border who was being quarantined. New Zealand previously allowed residents abroad to return home, but they needed to be quarantined.
Officials said the nine people that were infected had attended events with more than 100 people in the Nelson Marlborough area. A flight attendant who was aboard a flight with one of the infected had reportedly also tested positive. The flight attendant reportedly flew on other flights before she found out she was infected.
Ardern said that Omicron is likely now circulating around Auckland and other areas, and it will only be a matter of time before it spreads throughout the country.
New Zealand was placed on a "red" alert on midnight Sunday. Companies and schools will remain open, and domestic travel is permitted, although mask-wearing is mandatory. Gathering sizes are restricted, and vaccine cards are required for admission to most non-essential businesses.
Only up to 100 vaccinated people are allowed to gather under the alert level. Ardern said the restriction was one of the reasons why she opted to postpone her wedding.
