COVID-19: permitted businesses can prepare for opening on Tuesday 28 April
New Zealand will move from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm on Monday, 27 April, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.
As she had previously signalled, only businesses able to maintain strict physical distancing and meet stringent health and safety rules will be permitted to open. Apart from essential businesses, businesses that are normally accessed by the public will only be able to open for online or phone purchases and contactless delivery or click and collect. Nonetheless, the impending move to Level 3 is expected to return 400,000 more New Zealanders to work. Major sectors such as construction, manufacturing and forestry will be the beneficiaries of the new rules.
This week, businesses will be allowed to get ready to open. The Prime Minister gave as an example of such preparation employers re-entering premises to receive stock if necessary, but subject to sticking to physical distancing and their bubbles.
Those who can work from home should still do so.
Alert Level 3 will be maintained for two weeks before another review on 11 May to determine how New Zealand is tracking and decide on the appropriate alert level.
Source documents:
Beehive (Prime Minister’s remarks on decision)
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