Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Tuesday, 22 new community cases

Auckland will move to Covid-19 alert level 3 for two weeks from 11.59 pm tomorrow night, with the rest of New Zealand remaining at level 2.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Cabinet had accepted advice that level 4 had helped contain the outbreak, and level 3 still provided the rules to keep up that containment.

While Auckland was at level 3 or 4, level 2 would still apply, Ardern said.

The level 2 rules would be changed, however, to allow a maximum of 100 people to gather, including at hospitality venues.

Ardern reminded Aucklanders that bubbles remained, and they should not visit friends or neighbours. Children should not be allowed to play with each other.

"Small" changes to the bubble were allowed to bring in someone who was in lockdown alone, or a caregiver.

"Your bubble must remain small and exclusive," Ardern said.

Cabinet met this afternoon to consider whether to shift Auckland out of its five-week level 4 lockdown to level 3, and the rest of the country from Delta 2 to normal level 2 settings.

Addressing the media shortly after 4pm, Ardern said it was now known Delta had been in the community for 7-10 days prior to the first case, and level 4 "was the right move and has worked".

"To everyone, but especially Auckland, thank you for acting quickly and for persevering."

Ardern said almost all cases in the last 14 days were known contacts of existing contacts, and they were confident there was no significant undetected transmission. For the most part there were not widespread issues with workplaces, and most workplaces had strict protocols in place.

She said masks, distancing and limited travel were all important "and must continue to be used". It was essential to keep bubbles tight "and all of these features are part of level 3".

Businesses could re-open if they did so safely. That included Covid tests for any staff with symptoms.

She urged those who could to work from home if they could and to keep young children at home.

Children should only be going to school if parents were essential workers.

Cabinet has also mandated mask use at high schools which were open at level 3.

Events could still not happen, apart from a maximum of 10 for events such as weddings, funerals or tangihanga.

Ardern said everyone was encouraged to wear masks outside of their bubbles.

For over-65s in Auckland, Ardern said level 3 posed a higher level of risk. She urged those aged more than 65 to stay at home until they had been vaccinated. There were about 23,000 people aged over 65 in Auckland who were not yet vaccinated.

Healthline were now calling older New Zealanders to urge them to get vaccinated, and answer any questions they might have.

She said the only other time older people had been asked to stay at home was right at the start of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns "when we didn't have a tool to protect you. Now we do have a tool - please use it."

On the boundaries around Auckland, Ardern reiterated the need to have a weekly test. People who were travelling for personal reasons, with an exemption, now also needed a negative test up to 72 hours before they travelled.

'Bespoke' lockdown

Ardern said five cases were unlinked for today, but three in one family and there was a "tentative" link.

Authorities had tested in and around the cases south of the border, including corrections, court and Police staff and there were still only the three cases reported this morning, Ardern said.

More than 300 testing swabs had been taken in Kaiaua which was a small community.

Director-general of health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said in addition to steps already in place, a section 70 notice for people around Mangatangi would effectively increase the border around Auckland.

It would require those who had visited or lived there since September 8 to isolate and monitor symptoms. That included the school and a marae.

People were asked to monitor locations of interest.

Ardern said it was a "bespoke" level 4 lockdown requirement around that area.

The reason a boundary approach and a section 70 were used was to ensure those who worked in that area but did not live there were also covered.

Ardern said "curve balls" had been thrown before in outbreaks, and a strong local approach was needed.

It was always going to be a tricky decision given case numbers in the past several days have tracked over 20 with still unlinked cases and exposure events, but for the past week top ministers have reiterated their desire to ease restrictions.

However, three new cases reported overnight just south of the Auckland lockdown boundary in Whakatīwai add another complication, with some experts now calling for Waikato to be moved up an alert level.

The three cases are in a family linked to a remand prisoner who was at Auckland's Mt Eden Corrections Facility and was released on e-monitored bail to a house in the Firth of Thames on Wednesday, September 8 - when Auckland was still in alert level 4 lockdown.

Most people still hold out hope Auckland will be moved to level three.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will front the announcement at 4pm ahead of a press conference.

The Government is likely to face tough questions over how the case was allowed outside of the Auckland lockdown.

Earlier today, the Ministry of Health reported 22 new community cases.

Of these, 17 are linked to known cases, while five are unlinked. There are still 12 unlinked cases recorded from the past 14 days.

Of the five unlinked cases today; three are from one household; the other two are being interviewed.

Ten were already in quarantine when they were tested. The new cases bring the total number of active cases in the outbreak to 377. Sixteen people are in hospital, including four in ICU.

The majority of the new community cases reported today are located in Auckland, while three are those located in Whakatīwai.

Today is Auckland's 33rd day in lockdown since level 4 was declared at 11.59pm on August 17.

Six of yesterday's 24 Covid cases were not in isolation during the period they were infectious.

That meant there are currently 141 locations of interest.

There were 26,673 vaccines administered across the country yesterday, of those 14,145 were first doses and 12,528 were second shots.

This was less than a third of the peak vaccination period about three weeks ago, and the lowest daily total since August 15 - the Sunday just prior to the current outbreak being reported. 

For more information visit covid19.govt.nz.

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.

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