May 07, 2020
Safety first as shift to Level 2 weighed
Play it safe.
That’s the watchword for the move into COVID-19 Alert Level 2.
That could come as early as next week, with Cabinet considering the data next Monday.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told today’s briefing no one wants to risk the gains already made.
She says Level 2 is a safer normal designed to get as many people back to work as possible and the economy back up and running in a safe way.
There will continue to be strong public health measures such as physical distancing, good hygiene and contact tracing.
If people are even slightly sick, they should stay at home.
Businesses can restart for staff and customers, but there needs to be good hygiene within the workplace, and people should talk with their bosses about whether they need to be there in person.
Hairdressers can pick up their scissors again but will need to wear PPE and there can’t be any waiting queues.
Cafes, restaurants and bars can reopen as long as they follow the three customers are seated, there is separation, and each table has a single server, with no bar or counter service.
Gatherings both indoors and outdoors are limited to 100 people.
Sport will be back, including the professional rugby and netball competitions, but there will be no stadium crowds.
Just one new case of COVID-19 was reported today, a household contact of someone in the Matamata cluster.
The Waikato District Health Board is encouraging anyone from Matamata with concerns to get tested, regardless of whether they attended the St Patrick’s Day event at the centre of the cluster.
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