It’s not about the seal, the bribery, but about precautionary measures to break the potential chain of spread, Hipkins said, “Above all, we want to make sure that New Zealanders are not unnecessarily exposed to Covid-19.”
Schools and stores may remain open, however, gatherings are limited to 100 people and physical distancing rules are strictly adhered to. The minister added that the new restrictions will remain in place until at least Sunday. The rest of New Zealand is not under restrictions against the coronavirus, although a face mask is still mandatory on public transport.
New Zealand and Australia have been allowing non-quarantine travel between the two countries since mid-April. The “travel bubble” between Australia’s two most populous states, New South Wales and New Zealand, was suspended on Tuesday night and a review of the system was scheduled for Thursday. On Wednesday, a total of 31 new infections were registered in New South Wales, including ten in the past 24 hours in the eastern Sydney suburb of Bondi. New Zealand health authorities said the Australian man, who traveled to New Zealand and tested positive for the virus, works at a health facility in Bondi Junction.
In New Zealand, a total of 2,367 cases of coronavirus have been recorded, while 26 have died of the disease.
Cover Photo: Getty Images
