All of New Zealand except Auckland will move to Covid-19 alert level 2 at 11:59pm on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister has announced two major changes to the level 2 rules.
Jacinda Ardern says face coverings will be mandatory at most indoor venues; and a maximum of only 50 people will be allowed to gather at those venues.
Gyms, museums and libraries will need to change the way they operate.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Checkpoint travellers between Northland and the Waikato will be checked at the both borders on the edge of Auckland, which remains in alert level 4. He said queues will be unavoidable.
He said people will be asked if they stopped on their way through Auckland and there will be penalties for those who knowingly break the rules.
Essentially it is a trust model, but Hipkins said the alternative was to cut Northland off completely, which is not something they were prepared to do.
“That would be a particularly challenging thing for Northland.”
He said he is encouraged by the latest numbers on the outbreak in Auckland, but would not say how optimistic he is that the city could be out of restrictions by Christmas.
“My best advice to Aucklanders in particular is if you do want to go down alert levels sooner rather than later, hold your nerve, keep following the level 4 rules. Because we’re winning this at this point. The last thing we want to do is for people to get disgruntled and frustrated and start taking risks, don't take risks, now's not the time to take risk. Things are heading in the right direction, hold your nerve. And we can get through it.”
