The 39-year-old leader said in a televised address that she will keep schools open for now, in a similar policy employed in neighbouring Australia. "Schools will be closed if there is a case that affects a school, as we have been doing to date," Ardern said. Announcing a new alert system, Ardern said New Zealand was at level two, where the virus is contained but the risks are growing as there are more cases. New Zealand and Australia are also gateways to small Pacific islands, which are now starting to grapple with the epidemic. French Polynesia and Guam are among the hardest hit island countries in the Pacific, although COVID-19 cases have also been recorded in Fiji and New Caledonia.

Source: The Star March 21, 2020 00:11 UTC