From Thursday 19 November, masks must be worn on all public transport into, out of and through the Auckland region and on domestic flights throughout the country.

Auckland Uber and taxi drivers will also be required to wear face coverings, and while it’s not compulsory for their passengers to wear them, it is strongly encouraged.

Children under the age of 12 will be exempt, as will people with certain medical conditions. 

Students will not need to wear masks on school buses, but drivers will be required to.

The Ministry of Health says shen used and disposed of correctly, face coverings work to both reduce the risk of infected people infecting others and also help protect uninfected people from catching COVID-19.

“We rely on many layers of defence against COVID-19 – contact tracing, testing close and casual contacts of confirmed cases, quarantining people who are confirmed, and now mask use. No single measure is perfect, but they work together to keep the virus out, detect it and stamp it out if it gets here.”

Tertiary study in Auckland

Students who are concerned about sitting on-site exams in Auckland given the recent community case of COVID-19 are advised to talk to their tertiary provider.

Education facilities have been encouraged to talk to their students and staff about exam arrangements, particularly for individuals who may be considered ‘at risk’ or who live with others who are. Alternative arrangements may be needed for these people.

The Ministry of Education has set out a range of public health measures that education organisations must meet when running on-site examinations.

Auckland restaurant workers encouraged to wear masks

In keeping with the Government’s call for all New Zealanders to remain vigilant, the Restaurant Association is recommending all Auckland city centre restaurant owners encourage their employees to wear masks at all times.

QR code scanning picks up

Around a million scans took place over the last three days, with around one in five app users scanning the QR codes.

Businesses can further support contact tracing by putting extra copies of their QR codes next to their cash registers.

COVID-19 case update

There is one new case of COVID-19 in New Zealand today – a recent returnee in managed isolation. There are no new community cases.

Today’s case arrived from Singapore on 11 November and tested positive around day 3 of their time in managed isolation.

They will be transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.