The New Zealand Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield last night issued a public health notice giving more clarity around what is expected of people during the lockdown. 

“What we’ve seen over the last week is a very, very high level of understanding and compliance with those expectations. There have been a few areas where there have been questions over the week and the purpose of the notice is to provide clarification for people about what is expected under an Alert Level 4 lockdown situation,” he said. 

The notice is issued under Section 70 (1)(f) under the Health Act 1956. 

Over the first week of the lockdown, a “small minority” had not been following the guidance and the expectations so the notice “sets out the rules” for what was expected of everybody and clarifies the situations in which police powers may be exercised to ensure a high level of compliance, Dr Bloomfield said. 

It covered “in some detail” what those expectations were “and, it includes a good description of what an acceptable bubble-type arrangement is as well”.

“This is a public health notice. It underscores the fact that what we are all responding to is a major threat to public health in New Zealand and it clarifies what the expectations are on every New Zealander to ensure that we can, collectively, address that threat and, where necessary, that the police have really clear basis on which to act to enforce that.”

The notice remains in effect until 11.59pm on April 11. 

Read the notice in full HERE.