Auckland moves to Level 3, rest of New Zealand to Level 2

This evening at 7pm Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Auckland moves to Alert Level 3, rest of New Zealand to Alert Level 2 as of 11.59pm tonight (Sunday 14 February), after positive COVID-19 cases were found in a household in Auckland.

Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 for a period of three days (until 12 midnight Wednesday 17 February). The rest of New Zealand will move to Alert Level 2 for the same period.

 

Basketball in Auckland at Alert Level 3?

 

Rest of NZ operating under Alert 2:

Basketball New Zealand’s stance remains the same as it did in September 2020 when we issued guidance around basketball and hosting tournaments at Alert 2.

We are supportive of events if they are held in line with the intentions of the Government’s Alert Level Guidelines and where strong health and safety precautions to combat the spread of COVID-19 are applied.

If operating at Alert Level 2, basketball providers should proceed with caution and remember:

  • Hosts should not operate events with gatherings of over 100 people. The Government limit on total gatherings at Alert Level 2 is 100. This requirement is to decrease the chance of spread. In case there is some confusion about how this rule should be applied, Basketball New Zealand is clear in our view, as is School Sport NZ and Sport NZ view that was given to us last September: The 100-person limit applies to the whole event. For example, it is not ok to operate an event over two venues with separate gatherings, then cross teams over later in the event for final rounds thereby creating new sets of 100 to do so. This would be an attempt to ‘work around’ the COVID-19 restrictions, it is risky and unsafe, and not in keeping with the intentions of the Government’s guidelines.
  • It may help to read this webpage outlining considerations if operating under the mass gathering restrictions of 100.
  • Should Auckland go from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2.5 like it did last year, it’s a timely reminder that Government Alert Level requirements say that if anyone is travelling to an event or meeting, they are expected to carry their home Alert Level with them.

 

Further reminders: