The Director-General of Health says alert level 2 will see greater interactions between Kiwis, but physical distancing and hand hygiene will still be vital to fighting COVID-19.
In an interview with NZME, Dr Ashley Bloomfield was questioned about the core health principles which will underpin alert level 2 - whenever New Zealand moves there.
"The core health principles will be around maintaining a strong position around physical distancing, hand hygiene, and not going out and spreading an infection if you've got a respiratory infection, and getting tested early," he said,
"The principle here is, if you don’t know someone, then be really rigorous around physical distancing, but if it’s close friends and family, then you want to be careful, of course, but it’s starting to return to normal."
He said the situation under alert level 2 won't be as normal, but a quick hug will be permitted.
"I imagine it will still be elbow bumps and quick hugs, but my sense is it won’t yet be hongi, although that will be up to individual iwi in terms of what they will like to do based on the guidance we will provide," Dr Bloomfield.
"I guess the key thing about level 2 is, because we’ve got many more people around with interactions with both people we know and don’t know without the controls there at alert levels 3 and 4, we just need to maintain vigilance around physical distancing, particularly in situations where it’s not quite as controlled."
He said controlled environments are those like workplaces or school classrooms, whereas it is on public transport and places like that that people need to be thoughtful.
Dr Bloomfield said masks won't be mandatory at alert level 2.
