Coronavirus forces New Zealand election delay

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday postponed the nation's election to focus on fighting a coronavirus second wave, as data showed Japan's economy had endured a historic contraction.

With more than 21.5 million cases worldwide, a second wave of infections is also threatening further disruption in Europe where summer holiday-makers are helping fuel a resurgence of COVID-19.

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The disease has killed more than 766,000 people globally, and the number of deaths hit 50,000 in India, which is still battling its first wave with 2.5 million infections — the third-highest in the world.

Jacinda Ardern (left) takes part in a press conference about the COVID-19 at Parliament in Wellington. File/AFP

The postponement of New Zealand's election to October 17 came after the shock discovery of COVID-19 in Auckland last week, ending the nation's 102-day streak without community transmission.

"This decision gives all parties time over the next nine weeks to campaign and the Electoral Commission enough time to ensure an election can go ahead," Ardern said.

She said the return of the virus — which sent New Zealand's largest city into lockdown — had rattled Kiwis and could have discouraged some from voting in a September election.

In South Korea, another country that had brought its initial outbreak largely under control, thousands of Protestant church members were asked to quarantine as authorities battled virus clusters linked to religious groups.

The largest of those current clusters is centred on the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, headed by controversial conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hun.

South Korean have authorities have filed two separate complaints against him for deliberately hindering efforts to contain the virus.