New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has announced ongoing talks that may result in a delay of the country’s upcoming elections scheduled for September 19, 2020, as medical experts continue to investigate a new wave of coronavirus cases and their sources.

After a much-envied run of 102 days without community transmission, health authorities rushed to implement a rapid lockdown in the country’s largest city, Auckland, after four people from one family with no recent travel history tested positive to the virus, bringing the outbreak’s total to eight. Officials also noted that there might be a possibility that the country’s first infections in more than three months may be linked to items recently imported via freight.

Arden was initially scheduled to dissolve parliament on Wednesday to allow for elections to take place, but with 1.5 million people under stay-at-home orders, and millions more at risk of a wider outbreak, the centre-left leader has hesitated, holding off till Monday to monitor how the crisis evolves.

Making this known via a televised media conference, Arden also reiterated that no final decision has been made with regards to officially postponing the elections in New Zealand. “We’re seeking advice around the options of the issue of the election from the Electoral Commission, just so that we make sure we have all those options available to us,” she told reporters.

“It’s too early to make decisions, but there is a bit of flexibility to move the election date if required,” she said, adding that any date before November 21 can be chosen for the election.

Support from Opposition

In an unprecedented move, the leader of opposition National Party, Judith Collins, called for a delay until late November or even next year. “It is simply unsustainable to expect there to be a fair and just election at a time when opposition parties are not free to campaign,” she said.