An Update on Alert Levels

Auckland will remain at Alert Level 3 and the rest of New Zealand will remain at Level 2 until 11:59 pm on Wednesday the 26th of August. This brings us to a full 2 weeks in total.

Our current expectation is that by this time, the perimeter of the cluster will be identified and isolated and we can move Auckland to Alert level 2 with confidence.

Cabinet will review this on the 21st of August.

Level 3 allows us to continue with more activity than an Alert Level 4 lockdown. There is nothing to suggest we need to move to a Level 4 lockdown at this stage.

We are mindful of the extraordinary disruption to businesses and the anxiety this outbreak will be causing. As before, we will use the tools we have to protect people’s jobs, businesses and people’s health.

To provide certainty to businesses and workers, the wage subsidy scheme has been extended to support businesses and protect jobs as we undertake the public health measures required to fight the virus.

This will be nationwide and will cover the period of time that the current level 3 restrictions remain in place.

Our overall COVID-19 strategy remains elimination. That requires ongoing stamping out of the virus anytime it comes back. Together, we have kept COVID out for 102 days - longer than any other country. We can do all of that again.

If you’re in Auckland, please stay at home with your bubble. Download and use the COVID Tracer app. Wear a face covering when you’re out and about.

Businesses, please put up your QR codes. If you’re unwell, please seek advice for a test.

Here is the full update

We have identified 29 cases at this stage - all remain linked to one cluster in Auckland.

One other case that is likely linked to the cluster is still being investigated.

We have undertaken over 30,000 tests in the last 48 hours. 38 people linked to the cluster are now in government managed quarantine as a precautionary measure.

There are signs we found this outbreak relatively early in its life. While the first case we identified tested positive on Tuesday, extensive testing and contact tracing has determined that the earliest case we’ve found to date was a worker at the Americold Store in Mt Wellington

who became sick on approximately the 31st of July. This may not yet be the origin of the outbreak, but it’s the earliest sign of the emergence of the virus. In terms of the ongoing investigation to identify where the virus originated from,

there is still no clear connection at this point. Contact tracing and genomic tracing has not found a link to the border or a managed isolation and quarantine facility at this stage.

The sequence of the virus from the current cases is not the same from the sequence of cases in our first outbreak. This suggests that this is not a case of the virus being dormant or of a burning ember in our community - it appears to be new in New Zealand.

Since the announcement was made about the change in alert levels on Tuesday, we have tested more people than in any other time we have had COVID in NZ.

We have stocked for a further 303,000 tests currently in NZ. The level 3 restrictions and the speed they were implemented would have made a material difference in containing this outbreak.

We know the incubation period for COVID-19 and our experience of previous clusters means we can expect to see more cases as part of this cluster - It will grow before it slows

We also know that it is possible to contain a cluster or outbreak without identifying its origin. What’s important is that we establish the perimeter of the cluster.

In keeping with our precautionary approach, today cabinet has agreed to maintain our current alert levels for 12 days - bringing us to a full 2 weeks in total.

Our current expectation is that by this time, the perimeter of the cluster will be identified and isolated and we can move Auckland to Alert level 2 with confidence.

Auckland will remain at Alert Level 3 and the rest of New Zealand will remain at Level 2 until 11:59 pm on Wednesday the 26th of August. Cabinet will review these settings on the 21st of August. There is nothing to suggest we need to move to a level 4 lockdown at this stage.

Cabinet does not want Auckland to remain under Alert level 3 any longer than it takes to ensure the outbreak is managed. The best economic response is a strong health response. Short and sharp is best. Level 3 allows us to continue with more activity than a full level 4 lockdown.

We are mindful of the extraordinary disruption to businesses and the anxiety this outbreak will be causing. As before, we will use the tools we have to protect people’s jobs, businesses and people’s health.

To provide certainty to businesses and workers, the wage subsidy scheme has been extended to support businesses and protect jobs as we undertake the public health measures required to fight the virus.

This will be nationwide and will cover the period of time that the current level 3 restrictions remain in place. Our overall COVID-19 strategy remains elimination. That requires ongoing stamping out of the virus anytime it comes back.