Friday, March 29, 2024

Lockdown to end next Monday

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New Zealand will spend the long ANZAC Day weekend in lockdown, moving to alert level 3 just before midnight on Monday, April 27, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has told the nation.
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The announcement means from next Tuesday, not only essential industries but all businesses deemed to be capable of operating “safely” will be permitted to do so.

“Our team of five million has broken the chain of transmission,” said Ardern, but rather than lift the lockdown on Wednesday night and a drop down to alert level 3 – so-called ‘recovery room’ status – on Thursday, the government had decided to give businesses, schools and other places of work, education and other public places time to prepare.

The decision came after the Cabinet spent several hours debating the merits of ending the lockdown after 28 days this Wednesday, April 22, or extending it to better ensure the strategic goal of eliminating the covid-19 virus from New Zealand was achieved.

Earlier today, Health Director-General Ashley Bloomfield confirmed a further nine cases of covid-19 had been identified yesterday.

However, the change from the current lockdown level to alert level 3 will not have much practical effect for many businesses.

Employees are still required to work from home “unless that is not possible” and workplaces can only open if they can operate safely and “customers are not allowed on the premises,” other than supermarkets, dairies and petrol stations.

However, businesses can begin to trade “without close personal contact”, so takeaways and retail activity, such as bakeries and butchers that can make contactless pick-up or delivery possible, can resume.

-BusinessDesk

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