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NZ eases COVID rules in biggest city
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New Zealand eased coronavirus curbs slightly yesterday in its largest city of Auckland, as the government expressed confidence that there was no widespread regional transmission of the Delta variant.
But tough restrictions will continue even after the alert level drops to 3 from 4 in the city of about 1.7 million at the center of the latest Delta outbreak.
Schools and offices must still keep closed, for instance, with businesses limited to offering only contactless services.
Residents must still keep to their own 鈥渂ubbles,鈥 cannot visit friends or neighbors, or let children play together, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
鈥淏ubbles must remain small and exclusive,鈥 she told a news conference. 鈥淲e are confident that there is no large-scale undetected transmission. There is ongoing work to stamp it out, which is why we are still at level 3.鈥
The Auckland restrictions will ensure the Delta variant is stamped out as New Zealand sticks with its strategy of elimination of the virus, Ardern added.
Yesterday鈥檚 relaxation allows for up to 10 people to attend funerals and weddings, while businesses can offer contactless pick-up or delivery services, including takeaways.
Auckland will stay at level 3 for at least two weeks. For the rest of the country, the level will remain at 2. New Zealand reported 22 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, all in Auckland, which has been in a level-4 lockdown since mid-August. Until then, the country had been largely virus-free. Its tally of infections is 3,725, with 27 deaths.
Ardern鈥檚 tough lockdowns and international border closure helped rein in COVID-19, but she has been criticized for a slow vaccine rollout.
New Zealand has since ramped up its vaccine drive, with purchases of additional doses from Spain and Denmark. It still plans a phased reopening of borders early next year.
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