Lockdowns can be a difficult and confusing time so understanding which mask you need to wear and why as well as the precautions you need to take is an essential part of staying safe.
Nanogirl scientist Dr Michelle Dickinson told The AM Show a disposable mask or a cloth mask that has three separate layers of tight weave is perfect for those who need to go out for essential business, for example to the supermarket.
And there's a simple way to see if it's good enough, she said.
"The easiest way to check this is to hold it up to the light. If you can see holes through it, that's not the mask for you.
"You want something where you can't see the holes through it because it's really tight to keep your nose and your mouth covered.
Dickinson also said data regarding how long the delta variant lasts in air and on surfaces hasn't changed from earlier outbreaks.
"Delta is still the coronavirus so right now the data we have is it's probably airborne for 16 hours and can be on some surfaces for up to three days - but most of them just a few hours."
"We have to remember, though, that this is about how long it can catch in the air so rather than worrying about surfaces which we did last time, there's very little evidence that we're catching much COVID from surfaces now," she continued.
"Most of it is airborne transmission which is why wearing your mask is so important."
One of the ways health experts can get an understanding on how the virus spreads is by testing wastewater, which can act as an early detection mechanism.
"We're using it right now because we don't know how far this infection has currently spread," Dickinson said.
"If you are infected with COVID-19 you do what we call "shedding the virus" which means a little bit of your virus gets stuck to the mucous membranes, your spit and also your poos."
But there's currently good news on that front.
"We're able to see all over New Zealand if there's any virus in the water to see whether or not people have left Auckland and taken it elsewhere and right now they haven't."
