Full document: Government outlines what life would look like under Alert Level 3

April 16, 2020

Jacinda Ardern addressed media today to give an insight into the next step after lockdown.

While we aren't there yet, the Government has today released the finer details of what life under Alert Level 3 would look like.

The Government is due to update New Zealand on Monday as to whether we will stay or leave Alert Level 4 next Wednesday. 

At a press conference today, Jacinda Ardern outlined how the transition would look, cautioning it would be a careful move.

"At Level 3 we cautiously start opening up our economy," she said, giving a picture of life will look like when the decision is taken to move levels. "So when it comes time to move, we will be ready to move."

The PM has set out how restrictions will ease when we come out of Level 4.

The Government's Unite Against Covid-19 website updated today to reveal the grass-roots impact at Level 3.

Here's what it has to say:

Personal movement

People instructed to stay at home, other than for essential personal movement:

Accessing local services and businesses,
• Going to work or school (only for those who have to)
• Low-risk recreation in local area
• Shared and extended bubble arrangements
• Emergencies and giving effect to court orders
• Travelling to permitted gatherings
• Relocating a home or business
• Medical reasons
• Those who have an exemption to travel because of compassionate reasons
• Foreign nationals leaving New Zealand
• New Zealanders resident in the Realm returning home, and People arriving in New Zealand from overseas and returning home after 14 days isolation/quarantine at port of arrival (except air and marine crew).

Travel and transport

Travel is allowed for the following essential
personal movement in your local area:

• Accessing local services and businesses
• Going to work and school
• Low-risk recreation in local area,
• Extended bubble arrangements and
• Travelling to permitted gatherings

Those travelling on public transport should avoid peak times unless they are going to work or school.

Travel between regions is allowed for the following essential personal movement:

• Workers travelling to do essential work
• Going to work or school (only in neighbouring region)
• Shared bubble arrangements
• Relocating a home or business
• Those travelling for medical reasons
• Emergencies and giving effect to court orders
• Those who have an exemption to travel because of compassionate reasons
• Foreign nationals leaving New Zealand (except Cook Strait ferries)
• New Zealanders resident in the Realm returning home
• People arriving in New Zealand from overseas and returning home after 14 days’ isolation/quarantine at port of arrival (except air and marine crew)

All other travel is not allowed.

Gatherings

Gatherings of up to 10 people at a time for wedding services, funerals and tangihanga.

Wedding receptions and other celebrations are not allowed. Consumption of food/drink not permitted.
Workplaces, education facilities, public transport and supermarkets are not considered gatherings.

Additional conditions on gatherings:

• Physical distancing and infection prevention and control requirements must be met
• All gatherings must record attendees to ensure contact tracing can be conducted if necessary
• No participants allowed who have COVID-19 symptoms or who need to be in isolation/quarantine for any reason

Public venues

All public venues closed (e.g. museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, amusement parks, playgrounds, farmers’ markets).

Public open spaces (e.g. parks) may be used, but people need to maintain physical distancing outside their bubbles.

Health and disability care services

Hospitals operate in line with the National Hospital Response Framework
• Primary care services are open (including dental and allied health) and use virtual, non-contact consultations where possible
• Residential facilities remain open with strict visitor policies. In home visiting required for priority populations
• Pharmacies remain open

Workplaces

People required to work from home unless that is not possible.
Workplaces can only open if:

• Workers cannot work from home
• Workplaces are operating safely
• Customers are not allowed on premises
• Businesses can trade without physical contact with customers (e.g. through phone/online orders, delivery, pick-up and drive-through)

Businesses cannot offer services that involve close personal contact, unless it is an essential service, emergency or critical situation.

Supermarkets, dairies and petrol stations can have customers on premises. If businesses cannot operate safely, workers must not go to work and premises should remain closed.

“Operating safely” means:

• Complying with Alert Level 3 settings in this table and
• Meeting appropriate public health requirements
for their workplace, including for workers (e.g. putting up physical barriers), and
• Fulfilling all other health and safety obligations

Education

Early learning centres and schools are open for children in Years 1 – 10, with appropriate health measures in place.

• Early learning centres will be open to provide childcare for people who are working. Children will not be able to attend playcentres and play groups. Home-based care, education and supervision of young children for more than one family in a home if public health control measures can be implemented. Children are encouraged to stay at home, if caregiving is available.

• Primary and intermediate schools are open. If there is a parent or caregiver available to look after children at home and if children have access to distance learning, children and young people are encouraged to continue learning at home.

Secondary schools are open for young people in Years 9 and 10 who may not be able to stay home by themselves. All young people in Years 11 – 13 learn from home.

• Tertiary education facilities open for limited activities involving small groups (up to 10 people), and with distance learning provision for
others.

Any educational facilities connected to a confirmed or probably case of COVID-19 must close on an individual or group basis for 72 hours to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days. 

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