Auckland will move to step 2 of alert level 3 at 11:59pm tomorrow, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced.
This will allow shops and public facilities in Auckland to reopen and outdoor gatherings to increase to 25 people - and brings Waikato and Auckland into alignment.
Public facilities like libraries and zoos can open at level 3.2, as can retail - but gyms and movie theatres would still be closed, the PM said at today's post-Cabinet update.
Groups of 25 can congregate outside without the two-household rule.
Ardern said the reason behind the decision - which comes after 190 new comunity cases wer reported earlier today - was partly vaccination levels in Auckland, which hit 90 per cent first dose over the weekend.
Evidence shows picnics outside do not lead to increases in cases, she said, with only one case linked to an outdoor barbecue.
Significant case numbers hadn't be noticed in workplaces, which explained why retail could be opened.
The decision also acknowledged the impact on businesses and the mental and emotional toll on Aucklanders, Ardern said.
There is a strong expectation that Auckland will move to the traffic light system by November 29, due to high vaccination levels.
Projections show that cases will grow, but that isn't the only consideration, Ardern said.
Hospitalisations are also considered and were currently well within what DHBs could cope with, Ardern said.
Modelling from the public health team last week which projected 1000 cases a week was based on level 3 restrictions as they stand.
NZ currently had more hospitalisations but lower ICU patients based on modelling, Ardern said.
Vaccination certificates would be trialled this week and would be ready by November 29, the PM said.
Far North moves to level 2 on Thursday
On Northland, it was recommended by health officials that the upper region should move to alert level 2, and it will do so at 11:59pm on Thursday.
While there were additional cases today, director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield's view was they could be managed by contact tracers.
Nationally, there are only about 30,000 vaccine doses needed to get the remaining 14 DHBs not at 90 per cent, to get there.
Cabinet will next make a call on Waikato's alert level next week.
Medsafe approves boosters
On boosters, Ardern said Medsafe had approved a booster of the Pfizer vaccine for people aged 18 and over and more than six months after their second dose.
She understood the health and border workforce were concerned about whether they would need a booster, so that advice was being developed by the technical advisory group and would be shared soon.
PM on Auckland border
Asked about the Auckland border, Ardern said it was a separate discussion to the traffic light framework, but more would be announced about the border and who might be able to move through it next week.
She emphasised that Aucklanders will be able to leave Auckland at Christmas regardless of what is happening around the country.
November 29 represents roughly three weeks for those first doses to turn into second doses and it was likely to be the day the city would move into the Covid protection framework.
Ardern expected to give a date on the border reopening next week.
On whether testing will be required for Aucklanders to leave the city, Ardern said it was one of the issues being worked through, as well as vaccination certificates. Advice was being sought from transport, legal and health advisors.
Between 30-40,000 people would be moving at one time getting out of Auckland, Ardern said, saying that estimate would be on the low side.
Baby in hospital with Covid
Bloomfield said there was definitely pressure on contact tracers but resources would be provided so the initial call to positive cases would be made and ensure how they can self-isolate.
He said most people were getting contacted quickly but others weren't getting contacted soon enough.
Data showed almost half of household contacts of a positive case were catching the virus.
Asked whether there was an infant in hospital in Whangārei, Bloomfield said yes, it was a six-week-old baby.
Bloomfield didn't have any further information about the casualty in MIQ announced today.
PM in Auckland on Wednesday
Ardern said she would be in Auckland on Wednesday, meeting with representatives from business and local government.
On the possibility of facing protestors, Ardern said she would keep it in perspective and said her run-ins with protestors in Northland and Whanganui were not big and she expected to face some criticism as a politician.
She said she would have no further security measures around her than normal.
She said the whole goal with the new traffic light framework was to give certainty to industries like hospitality about when they can open.
Asked how long Aucklanders would have to wait for the framework to be started, Ardern said once DHBs hit 90 per cent double dosed, it would change almost straight away.
"We will be looking to move as quickly as we can and we will be pragmatic about it. "
She said step 3 of alert level 3 did allow some version of hospitality (up to 50 people), however she couldn't give a date on when they might be able to open before a move into the new framework.
Asked about outdoor dining, Ardern said it hadn't been specifically discussed, but public health might give advice on this later.
Bloomfield said the key point was that gatherings should be outside and sensible arrangements can be made when asked about what people should do when they might need to go to the toilet.
Vaccinations and MIQ
On the November 29 check-in and how Counties Manukau DHB might not make 90 per cent double dose, Ardern said all would be confirmed on November 29, adding that she wouldn't be writing off CMDHB.
With three weeks to go, Bloomfield expected the three Auckland DHBs would get to or close to 90 per cent double dosed.
Around 96 per cent of people had had their second dose within six weeks of their first dose.
On vaccine exemptions coming into the Government's purview, Bloomfield said there had initially been lots of stories about health professionals being hounded to give out exemptions and it was decided to move it to a centralised process.
The process was just starting today.
On Whānau Ora and how the Ministry of Health has denied access to requested data, Bloomfield said the decision was made after careful reconsideration of the High Court ruling, which stated the initial refusal was not in line with Te Tiriti.
He said there would be a compromise and the ministry had reached out to Whānau Ora today. It hoped to have a meeting tomorrow to see what data could be supplied to aid vaccinations in Auckland and Hamilton, for example.
Asked about his understanding of mana and tino rangatiratanga and why that initial data request was refused, Bloomfield said some iwi representatives held strong views about sharing the personal health data of their whānau.
Bloomfield said Ngāi Tahu opposed the release of the data, but they were not the only ones.
Ardern said MIQ was being changed as New Zealand's situation changed, but it was important to still have a period of isolation before going into the community. This could be at MIQ or at home.
On international arrivals and their isolation, Ardern said the advice was checks that didn't add to risk were needed.
Ardern said moving to self-isolation would enable everyone to come home and isolate, but with potentially 20,000 people doing it at one time, it would require some management to ensure cases in the community from those returnees were limited.
