AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 26: Seagulls take over Queen Street in Auckland''s CBD after lock down has come into force with only essential workers and people exercising are allowed out on March 26, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand has gone into lockdown as the government imposes tough restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19 across the country. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday declared a State of National Emergency which came into effect at midnight along with lockdown measures. An Epidemic Notice has also been issued to help ensure the continuity of essential Government business. Under the COVID-19 Alert Level Four measures, all non-essential businesses are closed, including bars, restaurants, cinemas and playgrounds. Schools are closed and all indoor and outdoor events are banned. Essential services will remain open, including supermarkets and pharmacies. Lockdown measures are expected to remain in place for around four weeks, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warning there will be zero tolerance for people ignoring the restrictions, with police able to enforce them if required. New Zealand currently has 205 confirmed cases of COVID-19. (Photo by Bradley White/Getty Images) 
By Praveen Menon
New Zealand had been largely virus-free, excluding a small cluster of cases in February, until an infected traveller from Australia seeded an outbreak that prompted Ardern to impose the national lockdown last week.
Ardern, who said restrictions would be eased outside of Auckland from Wednesday, is continuing to pursue an elimination strategy for the disease.
"We are within sight of elimination, but we can't drop the ball," Ardern said at a televised news conference. "Day by day we are making very good progress. What I dont want to do is move too quickly and then see a resurgence."
About 1.7 million people in greater Auckland, the epicentre of the outbreak, will remain in a full level 4 lockdown until at least Sept. 14.
The easing of the alert status to level 2 from level 3 in the rest of the country will allow the reopening of schools, offices and businesses. Regional travel will also be allowed.
Face masks will still be required inside most public venues, including shops and malls. Indoor hospitality venues will be limited to 50 patrons and outdoor venues to 100 people.
Daily new cases in the current outbreak have dropped from a peak of 85 on Aug. 29 to 20 on Monday.
The current outbreak is responsible for 821 of the country's total of about 3,400 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. It has reported 27 deaths.
Ardern's tough lockdowns and international border closure helped rein in COVID-19, but the government now faces questions over a delayed vaccine rollout and rising costs in a country heavily reliant on an immigrant workforce.
Just about 30% of the country's 5.1 million people has been fully vaccinated, the slowest pace among the wealthy nations of the OECD grouping. (Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jane Wardell)
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