New Zealand has dropped Covid-19 social distancing restrictions for all areas other than its most populous city, Auckland.
This comes after the country reported no new cases on Sunday.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that Auckland would remain on Level 2 restrictions until at least October 7, but that the rest of New Zealand was free to move to Level 1.
- Level 1 restrictions indicate that the virus has been contained in New Zealand and requires restrictions only for those entering the country.
- Level 2 restrictions cap the number of people at any gathering at 100 and mandates mask use on public transport.
A Covid-19 cluster in Auckland emerged in August, breaking a run of 102 days without a case of community transmission in New Zealand.
Ardern noted on Monday that there had not been a case linked to that cluster for 7 days, leading the government to its decision to relax social distancing measures.
She added that the country has a “50-50 chance” of eliminating Covid-19 by the end of the month.