New Zealand to Phase in More Freedoms Under Existing Alert Level

(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand will progressively allow more freedoms within its current virus alert level as it tries to boost domestic demand and protect jobs, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

The nation moved out of lockdown and into Alert Level 2 last week, allowing shops, restaurants, schools and public venues to open. Bars can begin trading tomorrow. However, a 10-person limit has been imposed on gatherings including church services.

“As we progress through Level 2 we plan to regularly adjust our settings to allow more activity when the data says it’s safe,” Ardern said Wednesday in Wellington. “It’s important we get New Zealand moving as fast as we can to limit the economic impact, which is why we are taking this nimble approach and making incremental adjustments. We do not have to move a full level in order to wind down restrictions.”

Ardern has faced criticism for stalling the economy after she imposed one of the most stringent lockdowns in the world in late March, but is now able to point to just 1,503 confirmed or probable cases of Covid-19, and only 21 deaths, as justification for her elimination strategy. Since going into Level 2 on May 14, there have been just two new cases reported, adding to signs there is no community transmission of the virus.

New Zealand has used a four-level alert system during the pandemic, with Level 4 denoting a full nationwide lockdown.

The government will review its restrictions within Level 2 every two weeks, starting with an assessment of the safe size of gatherings next Monday. In future, there will be a review of the physical distancing requirements on public transport, which may allow buses and aircraft to operate at greater capacity, Ardern said.

While the border stays closed, there is also scope for amendments to border rules at any level, “so it is possible to have a trans- Tasman bubble at Level 2,” Ardern said, referring to a potential safe travel zone with Australia.

No duration for Level 2 has been provided by the government, and Ardern said the fortnightly reviews will outline the progression toward the more relaxed Level 1 stage when “a lot of the things that inhibit normal business activity will be removed.”

“It is all about opening up as quickly as we can but as safely as we can,” she said. “There’s no time frame yet.”

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