Increase to gatherings under Level 2 to be considered by Cabinet on Monday

Instead there’ll be an incremental relaxing of Level 2 rules.

The Government will decide on Monday whether to increase the number of people who can gather together under Level 2. 

Cabinet will discuss increasing the size of gatherings on May 25, currently sitting at 10 people for private gatherings, 50 for funerals and tangi and 100 for public places.

The funeral and tangi limit was lifted from 10 under Level 2 after public backlash.

"As we progress through Level 2, we plan to regularly adjust our settings to allow more activity when it is safe," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today. 

The Prime Minister's comments today came as New Zealand recorded another day of zero Covid-19 cases. 

Ms Ardern previously told media the gatherings limit would be reviewed on May 25, two-weeks-ago when she announced the country would move from Alert Level 3 to 2. 

"If the data leading up to Monday continues its positive run, we will have more confidence to lift the size of gatherings, more importantly that does apply to things like church services," Ms Ardern said. 

After next Monday's decision, Ms Ardern said there would be further opportunities to increase it even more under Level 2. 

"We will also have the option down the track to loosen some of the physical distancing requirements."

Ms Ardern said they intended to "keep phasing in additional activity under Level 2 when the evidence shows we can, with low-to-little risk of further outbreaks". 

"Our journey is far from over, Covid-19 is still present in New Zealand," Ms Ardern said today.

"Covid-19 is still in our community and we know from our clusters that one case can become 90. We have entered Level 3 and 2 with a degree of caution, the data so far suggests this has been the right approach. 

"Importantly, all of the cases under both Level 2 and Level 3 have been directly traced to existing cases. The last case of community transmission was early April. We have not seen any new clusters emerge for over a month."

She said that under every Alert Level there would be widespread surveillance and testing, rapid contact tracing, physical distancing, staying home if sick, regular hand washing and tight measures at the border. 

"That's our new normal."

Border measures would continue "no matter what level we're at... (however), amendments to the border rules can occur at any level also". 

"It is possible to have a Trans Tasman bubble at level 2 for instance."

SHARE ME

More Stories