The director-general of health is floating the possibility of a Covid-19 alert level 1.5 being established, where mask-wearing and social distancing could become part of the country’s new norm.
Auckland was ratcheted up to level 3, and the rest of New Zealand put into level 2, when the first cases of community transmission were detected last week.
While the Auckland cluster – which authorities still don’t know where it originated from – may have been hugely disruptive to locals’ lives, Dr Ashley Bloomfield believed it offered an opportunity for the lower parts of the alert level system to be re-assessed.
“I think this outbreak will give us pause for thought on what alert level 1 looks like, and what our kind of minimum expectations of every New Zealander and for each us of might be under that.
“I think we should aim to get back to life as soon as possible, but the new normal I think [will] include perhaps a little more physical distancing, more frequent availability and use of hand gels, possibly even use of masks in some settings.
“Because what I sense is all New Zealanders would prefer that we stayed in alert level 1 and would be prepared to perhaps modify what our behaviours are in alert level 1, and so I think that’s one of the things we should absolutely look at.
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“It may be that there’s somewhere between a 1 and 2, so we can maintain that really open economy and do as much as we would like to in terms of attending large events and so on, Bloomfield said.
At alert level 1 – the ‘prepare’ phase – border entry measures remained in place, while mass gatherings of 500 or more are not allowed.
At level 2 – the ‘reduce’ phase – people are asked to limit non-essential travel around New Zealand, and employers are encouraged to start alternative ways of working including working from home where possible.
Physical distancing and mask use on public transport was also encouraged, while mass gatherings are restricted to less than 100 people.
When asked about the possibility at a press conference on Monday afternoon, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the alert level framework was “constantly being looked at” to ensure it was fit for purpose.
While he wasn’t aware of “a specific proposal” on changes to the alert levels, officials were “continuing to listen to advice”.
”The idea of people washing their hands, it should be happening all the time. The idea of people wearing masks, you can see that people taking on that idea more often – and people being more careful about not going out when they’re sick for example, they’re all things we’d want to happen anyway,” Robertson said.
