Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says he is disappointed that COVID-19 Alert Level 3 is being extended for four days, but he believes Aucklanders will understand why the decision has been made.

“This will be difficult for people whose jobs and businesses are most affected by Level 3 restrictions. However, the advice given by medical experts is clear; if we ease up on restrictions too early, we risk a further resurgence and losing the benefits we gained from ensuring the virus is contained,” says Mayor Goff.

“I want to thank Aucklanders for their patience and sacrifice to date, I know it hasn’t been easy, but we need to continue doing what we know works.

“We’ve seen from cities such as Melbourne how quickly COVID-19 cases can escalate if strong measures are not followed through, and the high death rates and increased economic pain this can cause.

“Allowing the virus to gain a foothold in Auckland would risk significant loss of life among some of our most vulnerable communities and would also have severe economic impacts and effects on already struggling businesses.

“We need to stamp out this latest outbreak as quickly as possible so that we are not forced into a worse situation later.

“Please continue to follow all the government guidelines around physical distancing, handwashing, and keeping track of your movements with the NZ COVID Tracer app.

“Everything we can do in the fight against this disease makes a difference, and I believe the mandatory wearing of masks on public transport is sensible given our recent experience. It is also strongly advised to wear a face covering in other situations where physical distancing is difficult, such as when going shopping.

“Please continue to be vigilant for COVID-19 symptoms—contact your GP or Healthline if you get sick and follow their advice on testing.

“Aucklanders have beaten this virus once by working together. If we all stay the course for the next four days, we will have the best chance of beating it again and getting back to Level 2 and Level 1 restrictions as soon as possible,” Phil Goff said.

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