Level 3 not a 'ticket to freedom' for Aucklanders, Ardern warns

September 21, 2021

The Prime Minister on Monday announced the city would move down levels at 11.59pm on September 21.

Jacinda Ardern is reminding Aucklanders that Alert Level 3 is "not a ticket to freedom" and that the city remains in a "highly restricted environment". 

The Prime Minister on Monday announced Auckland would move down levels at 11.59pm on Tuesday, while the rest of the country will remain at Level 2. 

Auckland will be at Level 3 for at least two weeks, with the settings next reviewed on October 4.

Ardern told Breakfast on Tuesday morning Auckland may be moving down restrictions, but is "not moving out of lockdown".

"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. 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."

She said Level 4 had allowed officials to get a sense of the spread of Covid-19 cases after the first case was detected five weeks ago.

But added: "We're now moving into the level where previously we usually start to help us continue to stamp it out."

The Prime Minister on Monday announced the city would move down levels at 11.59pm on September 21.

For previous outbreaks, bar the very first one, Level 3 has been used to eliminate the virus from the community.

Ardern said she made the decision -  which means businesses can open if they can have contactless pick-up or delivery, including takeaways - based on a range of advice.

"One of the things that's really key for me is just the advice we receive from our public health team from the Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and also the feedback every day, every day we are on a call with the public health team who are in Auckland working on this outbreak and all of that feeds into our decision," she said.

"It's not just simply a matter of me sitting at a desk and making a call, I get really strong advice and I really rely on that advice, and that advice was that we do not have widespread undetected community transmission in Auckland."

Find out more about Alert Level 3 restrictions here .

The Prime Minister on Monday announced the city would move down levels at 11.59pm on September 21.

SHARE ME

More Stories