New Zealand’s Lockdown Rules have Changed

This week New Zealand’s lockdown has eased from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3. This means that people can drive short distances from their homes, and they can go to work if it is not possible to work from home.

Children can go to school if their parents want this, but families are encouraged to let their children study from home if possible.

Many people are excited that we can now get takeaways, but there are strict rules about how to do this safely. Workers should keep one metre away from each other and they should not have any contact with customers.

There are many reports of businesses that are breaking the rules. Some workers are working too closely together or sharing equipment. Customers are standing too close to each other while they wait.

The government is warning businesses to make sure they have good safety procedures, and soon they may start fining or shutting down businesses that do not comply with the regulations.

On the eleventh of May, the government will review the Alert Level. If Covid-19 has started to increase, we may have to go back to the stricter Alert Level 4. If the number of Covid-19 cases stays very low, we may be able to go down to Alert Level 2. In Alert Level 2 we can enjoy a lot more freedom, including getting a hair cut and playing badminton!

So, New Zealanders are very motivated to be careful during Alert Level 3. If the virus stays under control, we can enjoy more freedom.

Vocabulary:

eased: become easier

strict: an adjective meaning serious. If a rule is strict, it means that nobody can break this rule.

equipment: a non-countable noun that means “tools”

procedures: the rules for how to do something

fine: a fine is money that you have to pay as a punishment. Fine can also be a verb.

comply: to follow a rule or procedure

motivated: if you are motivated, it means that you want to do something