Face coverings mandatory on all public transport

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

UPDATE: There are no new cases of Covid-19 in the community.

The Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield have provided an update to the media today.

Cabinet has agreed to make the wearing of face coverings on public transport a requirement for people across New Zealand, Hipkins announced.

This includes trains, ferries, busses and planes.

'Auckland has already been wearing face coverings on public transport since late last year. It can become a normal part of day to day life,” says Hipkins.

People will not be required to wear face coverings on The Cook Strait ferries.
Taxi drivers must also wear face coverings. It is not mandatory for passengers, but they are encouraged to do so.

Hipkins urged people to continue to use the Covid Tracer app, saying app scans have spiked in the past 48 hours.

The three community cases from yesterday have been transported to the Auckland quarantine facility.

Dr Bloomfield says there are three cases of Covid-19 at the border in managed isolation facilities today.

Earlier: The Minister for Covid-19 Response, Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, will provide an update to the media today at 1pm.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reported two new cases of Covid in the community and one in managed isolation.

Both of the community cases are linked to the previous Auckland February cases.

Both cases are students at Papatoetoe High School. Case D is a classmate, and had already been identified as a close contact, of Case A. Case E is Case D's sibling, says a statement from the Ministry of Health.

"We have received the first results from ESR's wastewater testing for 15 February.

"So far, they have found no evidence of any community cases of Covid-19 in wastewater sampled."

Also on Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced an alert level change for Auckland and the rest of New Zealand,

Auckland shifted to alert level two at midnight, while the rest of the country moved down to level one.

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9 comments

Unbearable.

Posted on 18-02-2021 13:44 | By morepork

It is hardly an unbearable violation of anybody's rights to require mask wearing on public transport while we are in a pandemic. And yet, there will be people who protest it as such. There is a "spoilt brat" strata in our society to whom nobody has ever said: "No." They didn't fight for their Freedom, they didn't bleed for it. and they dishonor the people who did. They came into a world where there is freedom and rights for all, and they never even think about it. The entire extent of their vision and their world is: THEMSELVES! They neither know nor care if their actions put others at risk, as long as they can continue their endless self-indulgence. Their objections are justified by the most outrageous and stupid conspiracy theories, because that's easier than doing what is required in Reality. It's time they grew up.


masks

Posted on 18-02-2021 15:59 | By dumbkof2

sorry morepork but i don't agree with you. i cannot wear any type of face covering at all as i have trouble breathing as it is. also i believe that if you can breath through a mask then it is not going to stop you getting any virus at all


Ohwell

Posted on 18-02-2021 18:40 | By GWHtpt

A lot easier to just fill the car up and use that


Tom Ranger

Posted on 19-02-2021 09:25 | By Tom Ranger

I could debate whether this is true freedom at all morepork and rights are entirely imaginary in my mind as they can be taken away from you whenever the powers deem necessary. Which makes them privileges' unfortunately...not rights. Conscription is an example and most countries have this option to send the poor masses to war within their legal framework. Objectors will likely be imprisoned judging from history. I don't want to fight any war for anyone. Unless I personally deem it necessary. I don't trust politicians.


Tom Ranger

Posted on 19-02-2021 09:31 | By Tom Ranger

@ dumbkof2. With the recent law changes...It provides more reasons to avoid public transport all together if at all possible. Personally....If I were you and absolutely had to use PT...I'd wear the mask, as if I was already struggling with breathing. Not contracting the virus would go right up the priority list for me.


@Dumkopf2

Posted on 20-02-2021 15:16 | By morepork

I'm sorry to hear about your breathing problem. That is not the same thing at all and it should be possible for you to get a medical exemption. (personally, If I were you, I'd avoid public transport if you possibly can...)


@Tom Ranger

Posted on 20-02-2021 15:24 | By morepork

I already responded to your view on rights and privileges; I don't think you are "wrong" and can easily agree to disagree on this. As for Conscription: I was one of the last conscripts in New Zealand and we were all being trained to fight in Viet Nam. At that age, you believe you are invincible and we were all hoping we'd be sent. Fortunately, none of us were. While I share your distrust of Politicians, generally, (and that includes local ones...), there is no escaping the fact that it is US who elects them. Maybe we get what we deserve, rather than what we want...


Hahaha

Posted on 20-02-2021 20:01 | By Let's get real

Hahaha, Hahaha, Hahaha So the vagrants, drunks, druggies and just plain argumentative dullards are all going to toe-the-line are they...? If anyone sees a police officer boarding a bus please take a photograph, because I'm sure it will be pretty valuable if sold to the media


Tom Ranger

Posted on 23-02-2021 11:35 | By Tom Ranger

Oh Gawd morepork. I'm glad you didn't go either. This is my point precisely. Young people that don't know any better being sent to war for someone else's political agenda and often money is the driver for the decision. ie Iraq. and many other examples. The comedian George Carlin does a great skit about war. Sending my children to war for greedy U.S politicians just ain't happening. Anyway, thanks for the mutual respect of opinion. : )


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