Increase in socialising and non-essential travel raising concerns in the Waikato

The main level 3 message will remain the same - stay at home and save lives. Photo / NZHerald

Increased reports of social gatherings and non-essential travel during alert level 4 are raising concerns with Police and Civil Defence throughout the Waikato.

Western Waikato Emergency Operations Centre duty controller Dave Simes says with talk about what moving to alert level 3 might look like, it appears people are relaxing a little too much on the rules.

"It is imperative now more than ever that we have continued compliance, not complacency," he says.

"At 4pm today we will know whether we remain at alert level 4 or drop to level 3.

"The announcement of what will happen if New Zealand moves to level 3 shouldn't change how we currently behave. We are still on level 4."

Mr Simes says life won't be much different during level 3, so don't expect to throw a party, or return to what life used to be like before the onset on Covid-19.

"It's important to remember that this is a long-term battle and people will still be expected to adhere to self-isolation rules," says Mr Simes.

"Returning to a normal social life could potentially allow the virus to spread.

"To undo all the work we have put into trying to contain this virus would be a tragedy if people continued to flout the rules.

"The main messages will remain the same – stay at home and save lives."

The criteria for determining a move to level 3 was spelt out by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden yesterday.

Factors include knowing community transmission is under control, the transmission rate is very low, there are robust measures at the border stopping new infection, tracing and testing capacity to shut down any new outbreak, and capacity in the health system.

The full breakdown of alert level 3 is available at covid19.govt.nz