Jacinda Ardern is looking to bring in Covid-19 "precautionary measures" such as mandatory face mask use on public transport to avoid having to move up Covid-19 alert levels when new cases of the virus arise.
It comes after three new cases of Covid-19 were reported in New Zealand yesterday, one being a close contact of the central Auckland woman who contracted Covid-19 in the community last week.
Despite the new outbreak in the community though, it was announced on Friday that the nation would remain at Alert Level 1.
However, Cabinet is meeting today to consider whether or not face mask use will be made mandatory at Level 1.
Lesley Gray from the University of Otago emphasised the importance of face masks to stop the virus’s spread. (Source: Other)
This morning TVNZ1's Breakfast, the Prime Minister reminded viewers that there was compulsory mask use on public transport, including flights, at Level 2.
"When we're in that heightened time, when we're coming out of a situation or we've got a bit of concern around cases in the community we've been using mask use at Level 2," she said.
"The few cases connected to our border, we've had the ability to manage those without going back in to Alert Level 2 restrictions but actually that's telling us 'well maybe we need to bring some of those precautionary measures down to that Level 1 environment'.
"It's only been recently where we've said 'actually at Level 1 there will be circumstances where we will have Covid cases and we're at Level 1 so let's bring that consistency in in the way we're treating mask use'."
Michael Baker says there needs to be systemic changes to border management. (Source: Other)
Ardern said people had always been encouraged to continue use of face masks or coverings on public transport and planes, though.
But, many people don't.
"We build that into our thinking too," Ardern said. "If we consider it a higher risk environment, even at Level 1 and people aren't really doing it voluntarily, do we need to do more there? So that's what Cabinet will talk about today."
At the Cabinet meeting, Ardern said she would be supporting the enforcement of masks and face coverings on public transport in Auckland and on flights.
"It actually just shows us that at Level 1 we're getting really good at managing but we want to make sure that we put a stop to risky situations."
The University of Auckland professor also say he supports compulsory mask wearing on public transport in the Tamaki Makaurau. (Source: Other)
There were more than 1.1 million scans from the Government's Covid Tracer app from more than 500,000 people on Saturday.
But when asked if the use of the app would be made mandatory, Ardern said "it's very hard to say 'every single person must scan wherever they go', so we've got to be practical around what works and what doesn't".
She said the Government would instead look at what could be done at "higher risk" gatherings, including events with mass crowds, to make sure there is a good register of who has been there.
SHARE ME