Alert levels frozen for another week

Auckland will remain in a full Covid-19 lockdown for a fifth consecutive week, but cabinet has made an in-principle decision to introduce level three for the region from September 21.

The rest of the country will stay at alert level two until the same time, with the government set to reconsider those settings on September 20. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, pictured, said the current restrictions are helping contain the spread of the Delta community outbreak and is one of the best tools for tackling the virus.

During a press conference on September 13, she also said a third level of wage subsidy will open up as a result of Auckland remaining in lockdown.

The whole of the country first went into a level-four lockdown on August 17, with everywhere south of the Auckland’s southern boundary shifting to level three at 11.59pm on August 31.

Northland also dropped a level two days later before everywhere except Auckland moved to level two at 11.59pm on September 7.

The Ministry of Health reported there were 33 new cases of Covid-19 linked to the Delta community outbreak on September 13, with all of them in Auckland.

It is the highest daily total in 11 days and takes the total number in the current outbreak to 955. 

For details of the alert level rules, click here.