Auckland will move to COVID-19 Alert Level 1 at midday today, Friday 12 March.

This follows six days of Auckland being at Level 2, with seven days prior to that at Level 3, after 15 positive community cases emerged outside managed isolation facilities.

“Level 2 restrictions being in place until today have allowed us to get the results of day-12 testing for the last remaining contacts of case M, who are in isolation. These all came back negative overnight,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

“There are some remaining day-12 tests but these are for individuals already in a quarantine facility.

“It also means we’ve now gone a full transmission cycle since the last exposure event where we were concerned people could have picked up the virus.

“The Director-General of Health has advised Cabinet he considers the outbreak contained.

“I know everyone in Auckland will be looking forward to a weekend with fewer restrictions, but we are asking that everyone keeps up the good habits that help us deal with cases if they emerge. That includes scanning in or keeping a record of everywhere you go.

“We each have the power to keep the country at Level 1, by continuing to follow health guidelines, including vigilant record keeping.

“As a Government we’ll also keep doing our bit. This week the Government has:

· Announced the purchase of enough Pfizer vaccines to vaccinate everyone in New Zealand.

· Outlined how the vaccination programme –the largest in New Zealand’s history – will roll out.

· Established a new advisory group to ensure continual improvements in New Zealand’s COVID-19 response. The group will provide impartial advice and assurances on the performance and settings of managed isolation and quarantine facilities, on planning for an outbreak, and on public communications and responses in the community.

“Our systems have improved so much over the past year, but we will keep reviewing things to make sure we constantly do better.”

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