The toughest restrictions on Kiwis’ everyday life have eased a little overnight, with the country officially moving to Level 3 of the Covid-19 alert system.
As many more workplaces prepare to reopen and household “bubbles” expand slightly, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has thanked Kiwis for the “sacrifices” they’ve made over the past five weeks of lockdown.
She’s praised the country’s efforts in getting the R0 (transmissibility value) of Covid-19 down to just 0.4 people per case, with other countries still seeing a R0 value of 2.5 people per case.
However, Ms Ardern has warned against complacency, saying the battle against Covid-19 isn’t over.
She says there could be an extension of Alert Level 3 beyond its initial two-week period if it looks like there are risks to the health gains already made.
Yesterday saw just the one new confirmed case and four new probable cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, however the death toll climbed by one after a woman in her 90s died at Waitakere Hospital.
Testing for the virus also continues around the country, including for all of the residents at a Hawke’s Bay holiday park , after one of them tested positive for Covid-19.
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Life at Level 3 begins
So how does life change at Level 3?
Well, household “bubbles” can expand a little for a start. Guidelines on just how much you can stretch that bubble can be found here .
But while a bit more movement is allowed from today, people still need to have a very good reason for travelling too far from home.
Police are also urging caution with roads likely to become much busier, with drivers told to watch out for pedestrians and cyclists who have been using the roads more freely of late.
Some water activities like surfing are also allowed again (with some restrictions), with Stuff reporting that lifeguards are bracing for an influx of people at beaches.
However recreational water activities are still banned on the Waikato and Waipa rivers after the Māori King placed a rāhui on them yesterday .
Schools are also preparing to reopen from tomorrow, however, on average just five percent of children will be returning for now.
And with all these new movements allowed under Level 3, Kiwis are being urged to keep up the same basic hygiene guidelines, including washing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
Feel free to refer back to Seven Sharp’s handwash karaoke from last month for some ideas on how to measure that 20 seconds in song.
Takeaways back on the menu
Being able to once again order takeaways and fast food has been a major talking point ever since the move to Level 3 was first signalled.
Several businesses are preparing for a hectic day today with customers keen for their takeaways fix.
McDonald’s is expecting to get around 140,000 combos out the door today, but is warning customers their “fast” food may take a bit longer than usual.
A Burger King employee was also urging calm from customers yesterday, saying food is “not going to be fast at all” .
Meanwhile, the Herald reports Uber Eats is cutting some of the costs it imposes on restaurants to deliver food for a limited time.
The company is also giving customers the option to add a tip to their order, 100 per cent of which will be given to the restaurant.
The move follows criticism of the commission Uber Eats charges businesses, with the Prime Minister last week encouraging Kiwis to look at other ways of supporting their local eateries.
Construction gets underway
Thousands of workers are back on sites around the country this morning, with a number of road and rail projects given the green light to re-start following the Level 4 lockdown.
The Kaikōura rebuild and Wellington Metro upgrade are among the projects back in action, with work also beginning on more than 60 Provincial Growth Fund projects across the regions.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says the works will help kickstart economic activity, while Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says the need to boost regional economies has never been more critical.
But while it’s back to work for some, Kiwis are still being urged to work from home where possible – and one expert has told Q&A’s Jack Tame that working from home may become the new normal for many, with the lockdown showing employers that it doesn’t mean a lack of productivity.
Legal action over eruption
Families of some of the victims of last year’s Whakaari/White Island eruption are planning to sue the cruise line who booked their tour to the volanco.
Twenty-one people died during the eruption with many others injured. Nineteen of those who died were passengers on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship.
According to a story that aired on ABC’s Four Corners programme last night, a group of passengers and their family members have hired a law firm to pursue legal action in Australia against the cruise operator Royal Caribbean for alleged negligence, breach of contract, and breach of Australian consumer law.
Other news of note this morning:
The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide has passed the 3 million mark .
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has addressed his nation for the first time since being hospitalised for Covid-19, saying the country is beginning to “turn the tide” on the virus.
A stoush over student accommodation “holding fees” continues at Victoria University.
The Warriors have been granted exemption to enter Australia for their return to the NRL.
And chocolate maker Whittaker's has been voted New Zealand's most trusted brand for the ninth year running.
And finally...
You may have noticed over the long weekend that we now live in a world where the US President publicly ponders the merits of injecting patients with disinfectant so as to “clean” them of Covid-19.
Donald Trump’s eyebrow-raising comments about disinfectant have reached every corner of the globe, including New Zealand’s daily coronavirus briefing, where Dr Ashley Bloomfield was briefly lost for words when asked about it yesterday.
He later advised against ingesting disinfectants after a journalist pointed out some people in the US had already made themselves sick by doing so.
Actor Brad Pitt also mocked the issue during the latest episode of Saturday Night Live, where his impression of a health boss flabbergasted by the mere suggestion of injecting disinfectant was uncannily similar to Dr Bloomfield’s real-life reaction.
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