NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Alert level 1 could be just two weeks away

By Andrew Marshall
Otago Daily Times·
8 Sep, 2021 07:01 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

September 9 2021 There are 13 new Covid-19 cases in the community today. Spain is sending 250,000 Covid jabs to New Zealand - enabling this country to keep up record levels of vaccinations.

A return to alert level 1 could be just two weeks away if trends continue, epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker says.

However, Delta-enhanced restrictions would probably still be in force at the lowest level.

The whole of the country outside Auckland woke up to level 2 restrictions yesterday, and continuing reductions in new infections were likely to lead to further alert level drops.

University of Otago epidemiologist Baker said that if things went well in Auckland, the rest of the country might be ready to move to Level 1 in a couple of weeks.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Professor Michael Baker says New Zealand needs Auckland in single digits in the next few days and no unexpected cases for several days. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Professor Michael Baker says New Zealand needs Auckland in single digits in the next few days and no unexpected cases for several days. Photo / Mark Mitchell

''If we see Auckland in single digits in the next few days and no unexpected cases for several days, then we'd be starting to feel that things are under control in Auckland and they'd be moving down a level.

"Then I think at that point the rest of the country could move down a level as well."

There were 15 new community cases of Covid-19 yesterday, all in Auckland.

Baker said it still made sense to keep the rest of the country outside Auckland at the same level, rather than allowing the South Island to loosen restrictions sooner, though.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said a truck driver, for example, moving goods from Auckland could then travel anywhere in the country.

It was likely that when Level 1 did arrive it would look different from how people remembered it last time, particularly when it came to mask use.

Shoppers at the Central Mall in Rotorua as New Zealand outside Auckland moved to level 2 on September 8, 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner
Shoppers at the Central Mall in Rotorua as New Zealand outside Auckland moved to level 2 on September 8, 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner

With the Delta variant prone to airborne transmission, masks would be necessary for large-scale indoor events.

Some hospitality venues had voiced reservations about the 50-patron indoor limits facing their establishments at level 2, but the reason for the limit was to minimise the risks of a future super-spreader event.

Discover more

New Zealand

Anti-maskers having 'heartbreaking' impact on disabled community

08 Sep 08:30 AM
New Zealand

'Russian roulette' - Auckland DHB under fire over visitor numbers, claims of patient sex in shared room

08 Sep 05:00 PM
Lifestyle

Hipkins strikes again, drops cheeky gag at Covid presser

08 Sep 02:46 AM
New Zealand

'Level 4 is effective': Covid modeller says Delta elimination is near

08 Sep 06:36 AM

"You have to see the world from the virus' point of view.

"It wants to infect as many of us as rapidly as possible. That's where it gets its edge."

Limits were not designed to designate a safe number of people that could fit in a space, but rather to restrict the number of people that could be infected at a location.

However, University of Canterbury mathematical modeller Professor Michael Plank said people should be prepared for a longer stint at level 2.

"If Auckland's still at alert level 3, that means there's still a reasonable level of risk and that means there would still be a risk of cases cropping up in other parts of the country."

University of Canterbury's Professor Michael Plank warns a longer stint at Level 2 is possible. Photo / Supplied
University of Canterbury's Professor Michael Plank warns a longer stint at Level 2 is possible. Photo / Supplied

Plank agreed that level 1 was likely to have additional safeguards.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As well as extended mask mandates, there could be a continuation of mandatory record-keeping, and additional requirements for high-risk venues and large gatherings.

The region awoke to level 2 conditions yesterday morning, and in Dunedin there was a fairly sedate start to the new freedoms.

The queues for services that had punctuated some previous alert level reductions were not widely evident, and moderate numbers of people were out and about in the city.

Some shoppers indulged in a delayed haircut.

Headquarters managing director Jamie Copland said her hairdressers were ''pretty exhausted'' but were thrilled to be able to accept customers again.

There had been a steady stream of clients throughout the day, and a general acceptance of the requirement to wear a mask during a haircut.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Otago Museum did not open yesterday, instead taking an extra day to ensure it was prepared to meet the level 2 settings.

It had contracted Professor Miguel Quinones-Mateu, of the University of Otago microbiology and immunology department, to advise on its preparations.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

live
New Zealand

Fibre outage and evacuations top of South Island, Auck Harbour Bridge hit by high winds

02 Jul 09:20 PM
New Zealand

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

02 Jul 09:19 PM
Opinion

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

02 Jul 09:17 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

NZ no longer in a state of 'peak tractor'

NZ no longer in a state of 'peak tractor'

02 Jul 10:24 PM

New tractor registrations fell 17% to 1925, the lowest since mid-2001.

Fibre outage and evacuations top of South Island, Auck Harbour Bridge hit by high winds
live

Fibre outage and evacuations top of South Island, Auck Harbour Bridge hit by high winds

02 Jul 09:20 PM
Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

02 Jul 09:19 PM
NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

02 Jul 09:17 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP