WELLINGTON: New Zealand will keep its virus restrictions in place for at least another week as the country continues to battle a small outbreak that began in Auckland last month.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday the country had taken a cautious approach to the virus from the beginning, which had helped save lives and allowed the economy to reopen in a sustained way. Ardern said New Zealand will continue its strategy of trying to eliminate the virus.
Under the restrictions, everybody must wear masks on public transport and planes, and the sizes of most gatherings are limited to 10 in Auckland and 100 elsewhere. Health authorities announced one more case of the virus on Monday, bringing the number of active cases to 96.
A Cabinet meeting will be held next Monday to review the coronavirus situation in New Zealand and confirm the planned restriction easing, down to level 1.
According to Ardern, starting from this Monday, physical distancing requirements on flights and public transport are being eased, but face masks still need to be worn.
On Saturday, thousands of protestors participated in a peaceful rally against coronavirus restrictions in Auckland.
According to New Zealand's Ministry of Health, only one new coronavirus case was registered in the country in the past 24 hours. The ministry's Monday data shows that the country has a total of 1,447 confirmed coronavirus cases and 24 virus-related deaths.