The New Zealand metropolitan Auckland is set to extend its lockdown until 11:59 PM Sunday, August 30, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
According to the New Zealand Prime Minister, the additional days would allow the North Island city of more than 1.5 million people to "stay down" as it moves down an alert level. PM Ardern added that the additional days are worth it to avoid moving back and forth between their coronavirus alert levels.
New Zealand Alert Level Updates
After the extension, the whole South Pacific nation will move back to a Level 2 Alert starting Monday midnight, August 31. However, Auckland will gradually move back to the lowered alert level. The entire country will be placed under the new alert level, before the New Zealand Cabinet reviews the state of the pandemic and updates the alert levels on Sunday, September 6.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Professor Michael Baker, an epidemiologist from the Otago University in Dunedin, said that the extension would help make sure that the downward trend in newly reported cases will continue.
In fact, New Zealand has been observing a decreasing number of newly reported cases of coronavirus - from nine cases last Friday (August 21), down to six on Saturday (August 22), and only one on Sunday (August 23). Auckland University Professor Shaun Hendy called the pattern "good news." However, like most experts in the country, Hendy strongly recommended the extension of the lockdown in Auckland "to be really sure."
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 27: A View from the Auckland Harbour looking back onto the Ports and through to the City skyline, Saturday 24th July 2004.
Professor Hendy added that the country's tally for newly confirmed transmissions of COVID-19 had been lower for a longer time before it moved from Alert Level 3 down to Level 2. The Auckland U professor described that the coronavirus is a "really tricky disease to manage," adding that they can't take risks due to the difficulty in containing asymptomatic cases.
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Returning to Level 2
Under Level 2, mass gatherings in the affected areas will be allowed but restricted to only ten people at a time. For funerals and Tangihaga, the traditional Maori funeral rite, better known as tangi, a 50 person limit will be observed.
Also, face masks are required for all citizens looking to use public transportation. Additionally, Ardern noted in a press conference that Aucklanders should keep their face masks on once they are outside of their homes.
"If COVID can spread on a bus, and we know masks make a difference, let's wear masks," the NZ Prime Minister said.
The technicalities regarding face mask-wearing—specifications, exemptions, and liabilities—still remain to be unclear. The Prime Minister, however, explained that everyone who uses New Zealand's public transport should have the responsibility to wear face masks.
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New Zealand's Director General Health Ashley Bloomfield explained that the mandatory use of face masks against COVID-19 at a Level 2 alert was a "line call," adding that the Cabinet decided to follow the recommendation.
While Ardern noted that they have considered moving the rest of the country to Level 1, she cited that it would have been hard to keep Auckland citizens from moving to other places and attending gatherings without the mandatory 10-person limit, as in Level 2.
In another article from The NZ Herald, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff expressed disappointment with the extension of the lockdown in their city. However, Mayor Goff believes that people understand the decision. He expressed his gratitude for their "patience and sacrifice to date."
I know this is not the news Aucklanders wanted to hear. It is difficult for businesses and Aucklanders struggling under Level 3, but the evidence is clear: if we ease up on restrictions too early we risk a further resurgence of the virus and no one wants that. — Phil Goff (@phil_goff) August 24, 2020
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