Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern insists Auckland's move to alert level 2.5 is "not at all" a political decision and that the alert level 2 guidelines never required there to be no community transmission of COVID-19.
Auckland woke up to what the Prime Minister described on Sunday as alert level 2.5, where all businesses and schools can reopen but gatherings are limited to 10 people and Aucklanders are advised to wear face coverings in public.
But not everyone is keen on the super-city moving down from alert level 3 lockdown because there are still 117 cases of COVID-19 in the community and new cases were reported throughout the week - two new cases on Sunday.
But Ardern said the alert level framework written up during the first coronavirus outbreak never required there to be no community transmission and that health officials are optimistic that each of the current active cases are linked.
"While the source of the cluster has yet to be identified, genomic analysis tells us that the starting point for this outbreak was the Americold site in Mt Wellington," Ardern said on Sunday.
"While there could well be another case in that chain that came before this one, it has not been detected to date. No links have been found with genomes currently available from cases in managed isolation facilities."
Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay said on Sunday the Ministry of Health is confident about Auckland moving down to alert level 2.5.
"What we're looking at is an outbreak that is generally well contained. We only have one case that is not connected genetically or epidemiologically," she said.
"There may be some further cases that would continue to occur within the community, but our level of comfort with control of the cluster is high and our consideration is that the existing public health systems and protocols can effectively deal with any further cases and the management of those cases."
The last time New Zealand was shifted down to alert level 2 there had been three days of no new cases of COVID-19, but Ardern insisted the latest move is not politically-motivated.
"Not at all, in fact one of the reasons that I wanted to share again the framework was to be clear that actually this framework, this hasn't at its core changed. This has been the same all the way through," Ardern said.
She held up during the press conference a diagram showing the alert level conditions which state, "Limited community transmission could be occurring."
"We have talked about there being community transmission and active clusters. That's what the framework is designed for. We have added a layer to it, so for Auckland we're very mindful of the status of the cluster at the moment, that's why they have extra restrictions," she said.
"Never, ever have we made a political decision in the management of COVID-19. We have made health-based decisions and evidence-based decisions because that's the best way we support our economy and I'm going to stick with that model of decision-making."
National Party leader Judith Collins isn't buying it.
"We heard from the Prime Minister yesterday saying that she never had politics in her decisions on this," she told Magic Talk. "I've just seen a little pig flying past."
Ardern said Auckland's move to level 2.5 will only work if everyone follows the rules.
"I understand that it is easy to become complacent, that if you hear a message that there are just two cases you may question what the likelihood is of you coming into contact with those two cases," she said.
"Everyone, I'm sure, who has experienced COVID-19 probably thought that same thing at some point until it was them. And so for Auckland, I want to say thank you for all of your efforts to date, but also keep going."
She held up a map depicting where cases have popped up right across Auckland.
"There is no corner that has been untouched by this cluster. That's why the rules are for everyone and we need everyone to stick to them no matter where in Auckland you are."
What are the rules?
"Our testing shows it is highly unlikely COVID has spread anywhere else in the country and we want to keep it that way. The last thing we want from reopening Auckland is to spread the virus around the country," Ardern said.
"These are measures that are in place for a good reason. Our testing regime is good, our contact tracing system is very good, but they will only work if we all play out part to support them.
"When we contact trace, there will be more occasions now where contacts of contacts will be asked to isolate and be tested. This is to match a step down in alert levels and the extra precautions we need to apply."
Cabinet meets on Friday to review the alert level settings.
