Coronavirus: Police won't issue fines for non-compliance of mask mandate on public transport on the first day - Assistant Commissioner

Police won't issue fines to those not wearing face masks on public transport on the first day of it being mandatory, the Assistant Commissioner says.

Speaking to The AM Show on Monday, Assistant Police Cmmr Richard Chambers said most people had been compliant so far.

Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport at alert levels 2 and above.

"Some people are choosing to take their masks off when they get off the train and that's fine," Chambers said.

"Speaking to my colleagues in Porirua a short time ago - they've found one person getting on a train who didn't have a mask so [a] big shout out - I'm sure it's the same across the country for the effort they're putting in."

Chambers said the person who tried to get on a train without a mask was given one by police officers. On Monday, thousands of face masks are being given out by police across the country.

Richard Chambers. Photo credit: The AM Show

There is a heightened police presence at transport hubs on Monday, Chambers said.

"Each police district has about 10,000 masks - we've got about 2000 masks here [at Wellington Station] - we're here to help our people," he told The AM Show.

And Wellington commuters seemed to have few issues with wearing masks.

"I'm finding it pretty easy - I think it's a great thing that we're actually wearing face masks on public transport now," one woman told The AM Show.

"It's safer," another said. "There needs to be a bit more research done - about which [masks] are the best and which we should be using."

Auckland came out of alert level 3 at midnight and moved to "level 2.5" on Monday, while the rest of the country is at level 2. Auckland is subject to tighter restrictions around gatherings - which are limited to 10 - while the rest of New Zealand is allowed gatherings of 100.

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