New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won a second term in office Saturday in an election landslide of historic proportions.

New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters rebuked a man for questioning the existence of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Ardern was thronged by supporters during her visit Saturday to a market in the heavily Polynesian south Auckland suburb of Otara.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has voted in the nation’s general election, two weeks before polls officially close.

Auckland, the country's largest city and the center of a fresh outbreak, will remain on alert level 2.5 that limits gatherings to no more than 10 people.

While New Zealand reported nine new coronavirus cases Monday, the United States saw over 42,000.

The election had been scheduled for Sept. 19 but will now be held on Oct. 17. Under New Zealand law, Ardern had the option of delaying the election for up to about two months.

The opposition party has said they would like the election delayed in the hope that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern loses some of her lustre once hardships caused by an extended lockdown begin to bite.

The 12-day extension of Aukland's lockdown will not be extended to the rest of the country, which will stay under looser restrictions, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

New Zealand announced on Thursday that there were 13 new cases in the community, and one overseas arrival who was in quarantine, bringing the total number of active cases to 36.