Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the motu is moving to red in the Covid-19 traffic light system following the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant within the community.
The move follows confirmation nine people who tested positive with Omicron in Motueka travelled to Auckland for a wedding attended by 'well over 100 people'.
A fully-vaccinated Air New Zealand employee who staffed the flight the family were on has now also tested positive for Omicron, and has flown five additional flights while infectious.
While the red setting is the most restrictive of the traffic light framework, restrictions are milder than the previous Covid-19 alert system which included national stay at home orders and non-essential business closures.