Covid-19 alert levels extended
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Auckland will remain in Covid-19 alert level ‘‘2.5’’ and the rest of the country in level 2 for at least one more week.
New Zealand has been living under differing levels of restrictions since a second outbreak of the virus was discovered on August 11, after 100 days without community transmission.
Auckland has spent the past two weeks at level ‘‘2.5’’, after 21⁄ weeks
2 in a level 3 ‘‘lockdown’’.
The rest of the country has been in alert level 2 since the discovery of the cases in August.
Ardern, speaking from Dunedin after a virtual Cabinet meeting yesterday, said the aim was to move ‘‘speedily down’’ alert levels, but the director-general of health had advised a short extension of the current restrictions.
The current rules would remain until at least September 21, she said. Cabinet would review the restrictions in Auckland with ‘‘a view’’ to reduce mass gathering limits.
Cabinet had agreed ‘‘in principle’’ that the rest of New Zealand should move to Covid-19 alert level 1 on Monday, September 21, Ardern said.
‘‘It has now been two weeks ... since Auckland moved to what we have been calling ‘2.5’. In that time we have identified another 35 cases in the community, all are associated with the wider Auckland cluster.’’
There had been widespread testing for the virus in the past two weeks, and no sign of the virus outside Auckland, she said. However, there were some ‘‘trouble spots’’ in Auckland, including the bereavement event which has become a sub-cluster of the virus.
‘‘Modelling done for the Ministry of Health continues to suggest around a 25 per cent chance of cases moving outside of the Auckland region. So while the cases are currently in Auckland, with interregional travel open there remains a risk of spreading the virus to the rest of the country.’’
Physical distancing requirements on aeroplanes, buses and trains, would immediately no longer be required, so as to allow for more seats to be filled on transport. A mask-wearing requirement would remain in place.
NZ First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said he had disagreed with the decision to continue alert level 2 restrictions outside of Auckland.
‘‘The director-general of health has stated that the Covid-19 outbreak in Auckland is contained. Additionally, he believes there is a low risk of transmission outside of Auckland,’’ Peters said. ‘‘Travelling around the South Island has reinforced that people are not observing social distancing in the absence of any registered or real threat of Covid-19 exposure since late April.’’
His party had invoked a ‘‘agree to disagree’’ provision, meaning he could publicly express his disagreement with a Cabinet decision.
Ardern said NZ First had the ability to disagree with a majority Cabinet decision, and had previously disagreed on matters such as the time frame for opening
up ‘‘bubbles’’ with Australia and the Cook Islands.
National Party leader Judith Collins questioned why the South Island remained in alert level 2.
‘‘South Islanders have put up with the inconvenience of restricted gatherings, cancelled sports fixtures and half-empty businesses. They’ve had enough. While we had a sound response to the pandemic back in
March, we’re now in danger of using a mallet to crack a nut.’’
ACT leader David Seymour said the decision showed the Government had failed in its Covid19 response.
‘‘Either the Government has failed, or the restrictions can be lifted . . . The restrictions on the South Island are particularly harsh,’’ he said. ‘‘There hasn’t been any community transition there in the latest outbreak, but they’ve been unable to go about their daily lives.’’