Auckland will remain at Alert Level 3 until 11.59pm Sunday.
The Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern made the announcement at 3pm yesterday at her post-Cabinet media briefing.
The PM said the country needed to put itself in the best long-term position to manage successfully, and in the most contained way possible.
“Ultimately, our goal needs to be managing this cluster from Level Two as soon as we feel confident we can do that,” she said.
“That means feeling confident we have the perimeter of the cluster well understood and defined, and are not seeing too many cases cropping up that we haven’t found through contact tracing.
“Based on the advice of the Director General (of Health – Dr Ashley Bloomfield), we believe that confidence can be built over the course of this week.
“That is why, the Director General has recommended to Cabinet, and Cabinet has agreed, to apply a short extension of Level Three restrictions in Auckland until 11.59pm this Sunday 30 August.”
Restrictions were due to be lifted on Wednesday following two weeks at Alert Level 3.
“These extra four days are believed necessary to allow us to move down a level in Auckland, and stay down. We want both confidence, and certainty for everyone,” the Prime Minister said.
“We also agree with the Director General’s view that, as we did before, that Auckland should step its way into Level Two.
“That means from midnight on Sunday: schools, hospitality, retail and those entities that are able to operate at Level Two all reopen, but we will keep a limit on mass gatherings – and that means groups of no more than 10, with the exception of tangihanga and funerals, which, you will recall ,occurred with up to 50 people the last time we stepped into Level Two gradually.”
The rest of the country will maintain the current Level Two settings.
The government will put these settings in place for one week from Sunday and review them before Sunday, September 6.
Ardern shared the rationale for keeping the rest of New Zealand at Level Two.
“Many will argue, that given we haven’t seen cases elsewhere, the rest of New Zealand should see a lift in current restrictions. I absolutely understand that sentiment. It makes sense.
“Except for one issue and that is regional travel. There are many people and businesses who will want to enter and leave Auckland once it is at Level Two, from Sunday night. And many others who will want to see the benefit that comes from our biggest city moving around the country again. That includes, for instance, hospitality, or retailers. But with that movement, does come risk.
“So there is a choice to be made. If we want the economic benefit of regional travel, the trade-off is keeping in place the social distancing and mass gathering limits that help keep everyone safe in the meantime.“
The Government continues to ask everyone who is on public transport, and planes, to wear a mask or face covering.
“Given the recent transmission we have seen on this form of transport, Cabinet has decided to move to mandating the wearing of face coverings on public transport for Level Two and above. These new orders will come into force from Monday,” the PM said.
“The next seven days, in fact the next several weeks, will see more cases. But it will see thousands of tests, hundreds of workers contact tracing, a team out in full force to stamp out Covid in New Zealand.
“And I hope it will also see everyone playing their part.”
- Staying home if they’re sick and getting a test.
- Downloading the NZ Covid tracer app.
- Keeping a log of everywhere they go, and everyone they’re with.
- Washing their hands.
- Being kind.
“This has been a hard year. It’s been a hard year for Christchurch who has fresh reminders of that this week. It’s been a hard year for Auckland, it’s been a hard year for drought stricken and flood ridden parts of the country,” said the PM.
“So if it feels hard, that’s because it has been. But let’s also remember, in a world where 2020 has frankly been terrible, we are strong, we have been kind, and we are doing really well.”
