Opinion: Constant reminders of the value of freedom

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield at Parliament during the briefing on what level 2 will look like. Photo / NZME

So now we know what we can do under level 2.

The next big question is when?

That will become apparent next week after Cabinet meets to decide if a move to level 2 is deemed safe, and when it could happen.

The news on Thursday has been good, albeit it comes with the ongoing challenges a global pandemic presents.

It also came with a perfectly executed piece of PR from the PM. Slipped into her presentation was a line suggesting that it would be prudent to ease back into things.

In other words, don't expect to be let loose under level 2 just yet - some level 3 restrictions are likely to remain.

At a guess, it may be that the hospitality sector and our education systems are given time to find their feet first before inter-regional travel restrictions are eased.

Our hospitality industry will be mostly delighted, even with the restrictions of the three Ss.

If you are going to a bar, cafe or restaurant, then you will need to be Seated. You will need to be Separated, as in seated safely - so no sitting on each other's laps.

And the establishment you are visiting will need to provide a Single Server for you and your company.

In other words, table service.

For some, this will mean close to standard modus operandi.

For other businesses it may require extra staff. And it also opens up the question of how this will be policed, and managed.

When it comes to workplaces, "the fewer the better" was the sound bite, and many businesses will have already mapped out who will continue working from home and who will head back to the office under level 2.

For some, things may return to normal quite quickly.

For others, level 2 continues to remind us that things will never be the same again.

And as we keep taking steps toward level 1 and beyond, we are constantly reminded that aside from our health, one of the most valuable commodities that we have is our freedom.