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National | Health

Auckland to come out of lockdown next week

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Auckland will remain in Alert Level 3 lockdown until the end of the week.

At midnight on Sunday, August 30, the city will come out of lockdown and enter level 2.

Initially, Auckland was due to lift level 3 restrictions on Wednesday, August 26, but Ardern says the extra four days in lockdown will allow Auckland to move down a level and stay down.

"We want confidence and certainty for everyone," she says.

The rest of the country will remain in level 2.

Level 2 restrictions

Entering level 2 means from midnight on Sunday, schools, hospitality, retail and other entities in Auckland able to operate at level two will reopen.

“We will move into level 2 for Auckland with the exception of mass gathering,g which will be limited to 10 unless you are attending a tangihanga and funeral where 50 will be able to be applied."

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Regional travel

Ardern says opening regional travel in and out of Auckland will help the economy.

“There are many people and businesses who want to enter and leave Auckland once it is at level 2 but, with that movement, does come risk. So there is a choice to be made. If we want the economic benefit of regional travel the tradeoff is keeping in place the social distancing and mass gathering limits that help keep everyone safe in the meantime.”

Ardern says it is mandatory for people travelling between regions on a plane or on public transport to wear coverings.

It comes after the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) identified further bus journeys taken separately by two people with Covid-19.

Auckland Transport has welcomed the government’s decision to make face coverings mandatory on public transport starting Monday, August 31, for regions in Alert Level 2 or higher.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff says, "The mandatory wearing of masks on public transport is sensible given our recent experience. It is also strongly advised to wear a face-covering in other situations where physical distancing is difficult, such as when going shopping."

The review of alert levels will occur on September 6.