Moving to Alert Level 2
The Government has announced New Zealand will move from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2 at 11.59pm on Wednesday 13 May. Until then we are still in Alert Level 3.
Temporary limits on gathering numbers will be in place when we first move to Alert Level 2.
Cabinet will review Alert Level 2 restrictions on Monday 25 May.
Play it safe
You will have more freedom of movement at Alert Level 2, but it’s up to each one of us to keep the rest of New Zealand safe.
These are the most important things that you can do:
Life at Alert Level 2
Life at Alert Level 2 means we can resume many of our everyday activities — but we have to do so safely.
Controls at Alert Level 2
Alert Level 2 is not life as normal, some restrictions and other measures remain in place to reduce the risk of transmission.
Personal movement
At Alert Level 2, you can leave home to do more things, but you should follow public health measures and consider others around you.
Follow these physical distancing rules:
There will be a few times at Alert Level 2 where it won’t be possible to maintain physical distance, so there will be other measures to manage public health risks. Examples include hairdressing, physiotherapists, home help, and public transport.
Gatherings, events, and public venues
Gathering at your home
You can have friends and family over to your home, but gatherings are limited to up to 10 people, or the people who usually live in your house.
Play it safe — keep surfaces clean, wash your hands, and keep the numbers low so you can practice safe physical distancing.
Gathering outside your home
You can attend gatherings in controlled settings outside of your home. Gatherings include:
have no more than 10 people
You can’t participate in any gatherings if you have COVID-19 symptoms or if you need to be in isolation for any reason.
Public venues
Many public venues will be open again at Alert Level 2. This includes:
Sport and recreation facilities are covered in the sport recreation section
Venues must:
Some venues will stay shut if they can’t open safely.
Exercise, sport and recreation
You can do your usual exercise, sport and recreation activities, provided you can do them safely.
This includes activities that were restricted previously, including:
Government is working with community sports organisations to work through how sport can be restarted safely.
High-level sporting events
NZ Super Rugby and ANZ Premiership Netball professional leagues can go ahead at Alert Level 2 because they take place in controlled workplaces. The details for these events will be developed with Sport New Zealand and WorkSafe. Initially, they will happen without crowds but they can be broadcast.
High Performance Sport New Zealand activities can take place at Alert Level 2 using a controlled workplace approach in consultation with WorkSafe.
Workplaces and businesses
At Alert Level 2 businesses can operate if they’re able to do so safely.
Engaging with customers
At Alert Level 2 businesses can have customers on their premises if they can meet public health requirements. This means businesses should:
Services can also be provided on customers’ premises, for example, cleaning and home help.
Most businesses can open their premises to the public:
Hospitality businesses should keep groups seated, separated, and use a single server if possible. This means each group has one server, though servers can each serve more than one table.
Work involving close personal contact
For some businesses, close personal contact is required to deliver a service. This includes:
These businesses can operate if they have public health measures in place like:
Specific guidance for key sectors is being developed by Government and will be available soon.
Doing business safely
The key public health requirements stay the same at Alert Level 2. Businesses should maintain hygiene measures, including physical distancing, hand washing and regularly cleaning surfaces.
All businesses are encouraged to use alternative ways of working if possible. This means businesses that don’t normally have customers on their premises could continue to have staff work from home.
If workers are sick with symptoms of COVID-19, they should stay home.
Self-isolation advice if you’re unwell
Golden rules for business at Alert Level 2
Do everything you can to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at work — we all have a part to play in keeping each other safe.
Travel and transport
COVID-19 is a disease you can spread without knowing you have it. You can travel around the country if you follow good personal health measures. You will need to keep records of what travel services you use and keep track of who you have been in contact with. You should keep your distance from groups of people you don’t know. You should minimise the number of places you stop on the way to your destination.
You must not travel to events which do not meet the requirements for gatherings at Alert Level 2.
Tips for minimising risk while travelling:
Education
Early learning services, schools and tertiary education facilities will be open for all students and young people from 18 May.
On the advice of public health officials, any educational facilities connected to a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 must close on an individual or group basis to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days.
Early learning services and schools
All early learning centres and schools will be physically open including years 11 to 13. Distance learning will be available for those unable to attend school, for example where people are self-isolating.
Early learning services and schools are safe environments for children, young people and staff. Additional public health control measures are in place to prevent the spread of disease and to support contact tracing.
Alert Level 2 FAQs for schools and Early Learning Centres(external link)
Tertiary education
Tertiary education facilities are open.
Tertiary education is a safe environment for students and staff to return to at Alert level 2. Tertiary education facilities will implement public health requirements and physical distancing as appropriate for the context, and will work closely to ensure a safe environment where students can continue their learning. They will need to maintain distance learning capability to help manage within these constraints, and ensure safety of staff and students at risk of COVID-19.
Workplace-based learning will be conducted within the specific rules applicable to the relevant industry.
At-risk people
There is guidance for people at higher risk of COVID-19. It includes advice under the different Alert Levels, who is at higher risk, and how they can protect themselves.
Information for at-risk people
Self-isolation, quarantine and testing
At Alert Level 2, people who are probable or confirmed cases of COVID-19, or who are a close contact of a case, will have to self-isolate for 14 days, or until cleared by a doctor.
People arriving from overseas will continue to be placed in managed-isolation for 14 days, or quarantine if they are showing symptoms.
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested — contact your doctor or Healthline.
Detailed table of New Zealand COVID-19 Alert Levels
New Zealand’s 4-level Alert System specifies measures we must take against COVID-19 at each level. Find out what each Alert Level means for you: