New Zealand Lowers Alert Status, COVID-19 Restrictions In Auckland Ease

Illustration of the implementation of the COVID-19 health protocol in New Zealand. (Wikimedia Commons/Alan Tennyson)

JAKARTA - New Zealand is slightly easing Coronavirus restrictions starting today in its largest city, Auckland, as the government believes there is no transmission of widespread regional infection cases of the Delta variant.

However, the strict restrictions will continue even after midnight on Tuesday, when the alert level was lowered to 3 from 4 in the city of about 1.7 million at the center of the Delta variant outbreak.

For example, schools and offices must remain closed, for example with limited businesses offering only contactless services.

New Zealand's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, said residents should keep their 'bubbles' to themselves, not visit friends or neighbors, or allow children to play together.

"The bubble should remain small and exclusive," he told a news conference, citing Reuters September 20.

"We believe no large-scale transmission has gone undetected. There is work in progress to eradicate it, which is why we are still at level 3", said PM Ardern.

The Auckland restrictions will ensure the Delta variant is eliminated, as New Zealand sticks with its virus removal strategy, Ardern added.

Relaxation Monday allows up to 10 people to attend funerals and weddings. Meanwhile, businesses can offer contactless pick-up or drop-off services, including takeout.

Auckland will stay at level 3 for at least two weeks. For the rest of the country, the level will remain at level 2, according to PM Ardern.

To note, New Zealand reported 22 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, all in Auckland, which has been in full level-4 lockdown since mid-August. Until then, the country was largely virus-free. Its infection tally is 3,725, with 27 deaths.

Ardern's harsh lockdown and international border closures helped control COVID-19, but her government has been criticized for the slow rollout of a vaccine that exposed large parts of the population to the Delta variant.

New Zealand has since stepped up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts, with purchases of additional vaccine doses from Spain and Denmark.

However, PM Ardern said she was still planning a gradual reopening of the border early next year.