Aucklanders have woken to the smell of freshly ground coffee and other takeaway delights with the region's shift to Alert Level 3 overnight.
Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's announcement on Monday, the City of Sails shifted down one alert level overnight after over a month of Level 4 restrictions following an outbreak of Covid-19.
The outbreak has resulted in 1085 cases to date - including 17 cases in Wellington.
Of those cases, 790 have since recovered, but the infamous "tail" of the virus has yet to be contained, and the Prime Minister has warned Aucklanders they aren't out of the woods yet.
"Just a reminder to people, Level 3 is not the ticket to freedom, it is still highly restricted, and one of the most important things we're asking people to do is maintain bubbles.
After five weeks in Alert Level 4, Tāmaki Makaurau will now spend at least two weeks at Level 3, with the decision to be reviewed on October 4.
"We don't want people mingling with neighbours, with friends, with other family or households," Ardern said.
"We still want those who can work from home to work from home, children to still stay home, so these are really important measures to continue to help us in these efforts."
Auckland will be at Level 3 for at least two weeks, with the settings next reviewed on October 4, but the move from Level 4 does come with some small perks.
The biggest prize is the return of takeaways via contactless pick-ups, delivery or drive-through, meaning fast food and coffees are back on the menu.
Both businesses and those craving a treat were ready for the rush.
There are still plenty of restrictions in place for Aucklanders though, including:
-You must still work from home. Businesses that require close physical contact cannot open.
-You must exercise and shop locally.
-You must stay within your household bubble whenever you are not at work or school. If you need to, you can expand it to bring in close family, isolated people or caregivers.
-Schools are closed, except for children of essential workers.
-A maximum of 10 people can attend weddings, funeral and tangihanga.
-Travel between regions remains limited.
-The rest of New Zealand remains at Alert Level 2 after moving down to the looser restrictions two weeks ago.
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