New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that the country's largest metropolis, Auckland, will stay under lockdown for another two weeks to limit the spread of the coronavirus's Delta strain.

There will be no modifications to the social restrictions that have already been in place in Auckland under alert level 3 for more than two months, Ardern declared at a press conference.

New Zealand has taken a zero-tolerance policy against coronavirus cases in the country.

The country had also initially been slow in vaccinating its citizens, compared to the other developed country.

However, the vaccination rates rocketed in August after the outbreak began but have dropped off significantly again since then.

About 65% of New Zealanders have had at least one dose and 40% are fully vaccinated. Among people age 12 and older, about 79% have had at least a single jab.