Covid-19 **Update**

Personal movement

At Alert Level 2, you can leave home, but you must follow public health measures and consider others around you.

Physical distancing

Keep your distance when out and about:

2 metres in public and in retail stores, like supermarkets and clothes shops.

1 metre in most other environments like workplaces, cafes, restaurants, and gyms.

Face coverings

At Alert Level 2 the risk of COVID-19 being present in the community is higher. You should wear face coverings in situations where physical distancing is not possible, like on public transport or in shops.

Gatherings, events and public venues

Events at home and outside of your home can have up to 100 people:

• • weddings
  • family events
  • religious services
  • funerals and tangihanga
  • private functions, like a birthday at a hired premises.

Play it safe — keep surfaces clean, wash your hands, and maintain safe physical distancing where possible.

A person in charge of a social gathering must ensure records are kept for contact tracing purposes, except where every person in a gathering knows each other. This includes in your home, community hall or other space.

You must not participate in any gatherings if you have COVID-19 symptoms or if you need to be in isolation for any reason.

Information on gatherings and events at Alert Level 2

Information on funerals and tangihanga at Alert Level 2

Information for religious communities at Alert Level 2

Public venues

Many public venues can open at Alert Level 2. This includes:

• • museums and libraries
  • cinemas
  • restaurants, cafes and bars.

All public venues must keep records to enable contact tracing.

Exercise, sport and recreation

You can do your usual exercise and recreation activities, provided you can do them safely.

These activities include:

• • walking, biking and hunting on public conservation land
  • swimming at a public swimming pool, but with restrictions
  • going to the gym, but with restrictions
  • community sports, with restrictions
  • boating and motorised watersports
  • whitebaiting.

Professional leagues can go ahead at Alert Level 2 because they take place in controlled workplaces.

Detailed information on exercising safely at Alert Level 2

At Alert Level 2 businesses can operate if they’re able to do so safely.

How to do business at Alert Level 2

Golden rules for business at Alert Level 2

• • Reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at work.
  • All businesses can operate if they can do so safely. Alternative ways of working are encouraged where possible.
  • Talk with your staff to identify risks and ways to manage them.
  • Ask everyone, workers, contractors and customers, with cold or flu-like symptoms to stay away from your premises.
  • Keep groups of customers at least 1 metre apart, or 2 metres for retail businesses.
  • Keep contact tracing records of anyone who will have close interaction e.g. staff, contractors or customers. Retail businesses are not required to keep contact tracing records.
  • All businesses must display a government issued QR code for use with the NZ COVID Tracer App by 19 August
  • Face coverings are strongly encouraged if you are in close contact with others.
  • Reduce the number of shared surfaces, and regularly disinfect them.
  • Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.

You can travel, but make sure you do it in a safe way.

You will need to:

• • keep records of what travel services you use and who you have been in contact with
  • keep your distance from groups of people you don’t know
  • minimise the number of places you stop on the way to your destination.

Tips for minimising risk while travelling:

• • If you can, try to avoid travelling on public transport at peak times. Consider alternative ways of travelling, like cycling or walking.
  • While waiting for public transport avoid standing close to strangers, and avoid sitting next to someone you don’t know when on board. Follow the instructions from your transport operators.
  • Maintain good hygiene – wash your hands often, cough or sneeze into your elbow.
  • Keep track of your journey, including where and when you boarded and where you’re sitting.
  • If you can, try to take public transport at off-peak times.
  • Avoid sitting or standing next to someone you don’t know.
  • If you’re flying or taking other forms of transport that involve bookings, follow the physical distancing instructions from your transport operators.

You must not travel if you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19, awaiting a test, or if you need to self-isolate.

Travel between regions

You can travel to other regions that are at Alert Level 2.

Travel into, out of, and through Auckland is heavily restricted while the city is at Alert Level 3. You can travel if you are returning to your primary residence. Not to go to a bach or holiday home.

There are limited exemptions for other people to travel which are listed in the Order, this includes people are who are moving freight, and a range of government workers.

The Police are enforcing this at checkpoints around Auckland.

This restriction is initially very tight, and there is room for us to adjust if we need to.

Travelling through Auckland Airport

The restrictions on flying into and out of Auckland are the same as driving in our out.

Aviation Security staff at the doors of Auckland Airport. They are asking people why they are travelling, and if they believe there are any issues they can bring Police into that conversation.

Education

Early learning services, schools and tertiary education facilities are open to all ages.  It is safe to attend all forms of education. Additional public health measures are in place. It is important that all learners can continue their education.

On the advice of public health officials, any educational facilities connected to a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 must close on an individual or group basis to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days.

Early learning services and schools

All Early Learning Centres and schools will be physically open, including Years 11 to 13. Distance learning will be available for those unable to attend school, for example where people are self-isolating.

Early learning services and schools are safe environments for children, young people and staff. Additional public health control measures are in place to prevent the spread of disease and to support contact tracing.

Tertiary education

Tertiary education facilities are open.

Tertiary education is a safe environment for students and staff to return to at Alert Level 2. Tertiary education facilities will implement public health requirements and physical distancing as appropriate for the context, and will work closely to ensure a safe environment where students can continue their learning.  They will need to maintain distance learning capability to help manage within these constraints, and ensure safety of staff and students at risk of COVID-19.

Workplace-based learning will be conducted within the specific rules applicable to the relevant industry.

Self-isolation, quarantine and testing

At Alert Level 2, people who are a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19, or who are a close contact of a case, will have to self-isolate for 14 days, or until cleared by a doctor.

People arriving from overseas will continue to be placed in managed isolation for 14 days, or quarantine if they are showing symptoms.

Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested — contact your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453.