Most of the country will move to Level 3 by the end of next Tuesday, with signs lockdown is working – but Auckland will be under heavier restrictions longer, while Northland also faces a longer wait
The majority of New Zealand will leave full lockdown early next week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced – but Auckland and Northland are likely to spend at least another fortnight at Level 4.
Speaking to media on Friday afternoon, Ardern said there were signs that the nationwide lockdown was working, with the 70 new cases announced earlier in the day – all in Auckland – showing further evidence the infection curve may be flattening.
“But caution is still required: as we have seen in this outbreak, Delta is definitely more infectious, and it also moves more quickly,” she added.
Level 4 restrictions were the most effective tool to reduce infection, with roughly half of the new cases reported on Thursday occurring within households rather than the wider community.
Evidence from Australia suggested “household members are almost universally becoming infected with Covid-19”, Ardern said, meaning high numbers of new cases were likely to continue.
On the advice of Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Cabinet has decided that all of New Zealand south of the Auckland boundary would move to Level 3 at 11:59pm on Tuesday 31 August, with those settings to be reviewed a week later.
Auckland and Northland, from the southern Auckland boundary to the top of the country, would remain in Level 4 for some time longer.
Based on the size of the outbreak at present and the need to see “a sustained reduction in cases” before moving alert levels, it was likely Auckland would need to remain in full lockdown for a further two weeks beyond the rest of the country.
Explaining the decision to keep Northland in Level 4 with Auckland, the Prime Minister cited a recent case in Warkworth and the need for more data and further contact tracing in order to better assist the risk.
While Warkworth had previously been included within the Auckland boundary, ministers were concerned about the potential movement of people through that part of the country on northbound journeys.
Level 3 was “very much a watch and wait level” with movement still heavily limited, “allow[ing] us to give people in businesses more freedoms but without jeopardising the progress and gains that are being made".
Ardern also defended the decision to keep the South Island at Level 4 for several more days, despite no positive cases having been identified there.
The slightly longer duration would give the country the confidence of a full 14-day cycle since the first case was discovered, while there were over 300 contacts in the South Island and a positive wastewater result in Christchurch on Thursday (although that was likely to be from cases in a managed isolation facility).
When New Zealand south of Auckland did move to Level 3, no travel between boundaries would be allowed unless it was for workers who needed to commute to their workplace, or for someone who held an exemption.
Level 3 was “very much a watch and wait level” with movement still heavily limited, “allow[ing] us to give people in businesses more freedoms but without jeopardising the progress and gains that are being made".
Businesses could reopen as long as they could do so safely and offered services that did not require close personal contact, allowing retailers to operate with click and collect, and takeaways restaurants able to offer delivery, drive-through or contactless pick-up.
Bars and restaurants would remain closed for sit-down services, while broader social activities remained off-limits.
Mask use would be mandatory for workers in any businesses that were open and which served the public, and for customers picking up items.
Positive case in care facility
Ardern and Bloomfield spoke to media after earlier confirmation that the Delta cluster had grown to 347 cases – 333 of which are in Auckland, and 14 in Wellington.
The Ministry of Health said there were 278 cases that had been traced and linked to another case or sub-cluster, while the other 69 were still under investigation.
The 70 new cases have been broken down by ethnicity: 44 are Pacific people, 11 are Asian, six are European, six are Māori and three are unknown.
Hospital treatment has been required for 19 of the total 347 cases, and one of these community cases is now in intensive care.
A positive community case has been confirmed at Amberlea Home and Hospital Care Facility near Warkworth.
The facility has now been listed as an exposure site after the positive case was identified in the dementia ward.
“Public health officials understand the staff member worked two shifts while unknowingly infectious. They are fully vaccinated and adhered to strict Infection, Prevention and Control protocol, including wearing face coverings and other PPE,’’ the Ministry of Health said.
A mobile testing unit has been set up there and all residents and staff are being asked to have a test.
The ministry has confirmed hospital capacity is good across the country with occupancy at roughly 75 percent – intensive care is around 58 percent.
There are 23 community testing centres operating in Auckland today – 12 of these are pop-up sites and five are invitation-only for high-risk groups who need priority testing.
Regarding wastewater, there are no unexpected detections. Positive wastewater continues to show for Warkworth, Auckland and Wellington, where there are Covid cases, and Christchurch, which has positive cases in quarantine.
As of 8am on Friday there have been 29,851 contacts identified and roughly 76 percent have had a test.
The vaccination rollout continues to ramp up with 90,757 vaccines administered on Thursday.
