New Zealand plans to ease virus curbs in most regions

WELLINGTON — New Zealand will lift coronavirus restrictions by moving to alert level 1 across the country next Monday and decide on the same day whether to lower the alert level in Auckland, which is the epicenter of a second wave of infections, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

Auckland, the country’s biggest city, remains on alert level 2.5, with the rest of country on level 2.

Last month, Auckland had a second wave of community outbreak, which has been kept under control. Under COVID-19 alert level 2, gathering sizes are limited to 100 people; at levels 2.5 and 3 they are limited to 10 people.

At level 1, everyone can return to work, school, sports and domestic travel, and there are no gathering restrictions. However, border restrictions and good hygiene are required.

Ardern said the government would immediately ease all physical distancing requirements on aircraft, a fillip for Air New Zealand, which has had to limit the number of passengers on its flights for months.

The Cabinet will review the current rules for Auckland at its meeting on Monday, with a view to increase gathering limits if the situation stays stable, and such a change would take effect two days later, she said.

The government also relaxed public transport distancing requirements.

“The advisory by ministry of health and ministry of transport for recommended seating configurations on public transport that promoted physical distancing have now been revoked, effective immediately,” a ministry statement said.

Updated advice

“With the use of face coverings, our updated advice is that physical distancing should be maintained where possible, however it is not required on either domestic flights or on public transport such as trains, buses and ferries.”

Airlines and transport operators requiring pre-bookings can now accept higher volumes of bookings, Ardern said.

New Zealand reported one new community case of COVID-19 on Monday.

With that case and two additional recovered cases, the country’s total number of active cases was 96. Of those, 39 are imported cases in managed isolation facilities and 57 are community cases, the statement said.

New Zealand’s total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is now 1,447, which is the number reported to the World Health Organization.