The new traffic light system is showing orange across most of the country on Friday, with just Auckland and 10 other North Island regions starting at red.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Cabinet is taking a cautious approach.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said cases appear to have plateaued in Auckland but they want to “lock in those gains”. He says under red, vaccinated people with certificates in Auckland will have freedoms similar to level 2.
He has not ruled out the possibility Auckland could be orange by Christmas. But he did not detail what criteria needs to be met for the region to move.
