Health Minister Chris Hipkins and Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay revealed there are seven new cases of Covid-19 in NZ and outlined mandatory mask wearing rules starting Monday. Video / Pool
People showing symptoms of Covid-19 are asked not to use public transport when travelling to a medical appointment at alert level 2.
The Government has announced Auckland will move down from alert level 3 at 11.59pm on Sunday, August 30.
Face coverings will then be mandatory for public transport usersfrom Monday.
QR codes are to be displayed from Friday, September 4.
As a general rule of thumb, Auckland Transport (AT) is telling people to stay at home if you feel sick, not to socialise, go to work or school.
"We know this has been a challenging time for us all," AT said.
"We ask that people continue to be understanding and patient of everyone else who is in the same situation during the changes in alert levels over the last couple of weeks.
"Again, please try to avoid travelling during peak hours of the day to help make sure everyone can get to where they need to go safely."
Aucklanders are being asked to avoid peak travel times at alert level 2. Photo / File
Social distancing will also be required on public transport, stations, stops and platforms; people are asked to remain two metres away from others.
It is thought public transport will be a lot busier than usual because of limited capacity, so Aucklanders are asked to consider riding a bike or walking.
Aucklanders need to ensure they follow all the necessary safeguards to constrain the spread of Covid-19, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says.
"Following these rules will help ensure we beat Covid-19 again, just as we did last time," he said.
Public transport will operate to normal levels at level 2, however, after-midnight services will not run on Friday and Saturday nights.
Trains will run at a 20-minute frequency while KiwiRail sorts out urgent track maintenance to the Auckland rail network.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
There will be a temporary closure of the eastern line between Britomart and Otahuhu. Buses will replace trains on this network for two weeks.
Passenger capacity will be significantly lower on buses, trains, and ferries in Auckland to help maintain physical distancing.
Commuters are asked to check the AT Mobile app which displays how many people are on a bus or a train at any given time and to plan ahead.
AT encourages Aucklanders to commute outside the usual peak hours of 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm if possible.
"This will also allow us to monitor passenger numbers and make fast adjustments to services if required due to changes in demand," AT said.
"We will be working to make those changes as quickly as possible and again advise customers to plan their journey ahead."
FACEMASK
AT-contracted school bus services will start up again from Monday; face coverings and physical distancing aren't required on dedicated school transport services.
To top up their AT Hop card, customers are asked to use self-service options such as ordering a card online if Aucklanders need one.
Paid parking will continue for on and off-street parking at alert level 2.
