Kia ora koutou, 

Thank you for your patience while we have worked with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) to answer outstanding questions related to Alert Level 2.

We appreciate it’s been challenging interpreting the guidelines during the past week with sometimes conflicting advice in circulation. A new Alert Level 2 table is now available on our website. 

Please note significant changes have been made with respect to gathering limits for community sport. The key changes are noted below: 

Gathering Limits at Level 2 – community sport requirements 
Over the last week there have been increasing concerns about the requirement for a 100-person limit for community sport activities as a social gathering vs gatherings at event facilities, which can now host events with no limits on persons provided there is 1-metre distancing in place.   
 
We have now clarified that the intent of the health order at Alert Level 2 is to limit community sport to social gatherings of 100 people, with no physical distancing in place allowing contact sport to be played.  Shifting these community sport requirements to align them with permissions at event facilities would lead to increased public health risk.   
 
As a result, our guidance has been amended to reflect that the activity of community sport (including community sport competitions and events) - regardless of venue, indoor or outdoor - should be considered a social gathering and as such, the 100 number cap applies, with no social distancing for participants while playing or competing. We appreciate that this is more restrictive than originally interpreted, but this is in line with the Health Order and designed to reduce the associated public health risk. 
 
Please also note that a number of queries have been received regarding the serving of food and beverage at sporting events. Just a reminder that hospitality settings apply so customers need to be seated at a table, not just seated. 

Super Saturday Vaccination Drive 
All this gives us added incentive to support Super Saturday tomorrow – which is a national day of action to get kiwis vaccinated against Covid-19. Details here. I encourage everyone in the sector to share key messages about vaccination in any way you can across your channels, and to support Saturday’s drive. Lifting vaccination levels has a direct impact on how soon we can get back to Level 1 freedoms, so let’s use our collective channels and reach to encourage the unvaccinated to step up. 
 
As always, if you have any questions, please contact your Partnership Manager or send COVID-19 related queries to this address: Covid19response@sportnz.org.nz.  

Ngā mihi,  
Raelene Castle