New Zealand to begin move to Covid-19 Level 2 from Thursday but war is not won, PM warns
Level 2 timeline:
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- Thursday May 14: Level 2 partially begins, retail opens
- Monday May 17: Schools, tertiary institutions and ECEs can open
- Thursday May 21: Bars can open.
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Jacinda Ardern said Cabinet agreed New Zealand was ready to move into Level 2 in order "to open up the economy but to do it as safely". On Thursday May 14, retail, malls, cafes and restaurants, cinemas and other public places can open. "You can begin to move around New Zealand," Ms Ardern said. Schools will be able to open on Monday, May 17. On Thursday May 21, bars will be able to open. Bookings will be limited to less than 10 people, as are parties. "Don't let your gatherings go over 10," Ms Ardern said. Level 2 will be reviewed in two weeks. Ms Ardern acknowledged the sacrifices the country had made over the last six-and-a-half weeks over the lockdown period. "But for all of that, Kiwis of all walks of life were resolute and determined, determined that this was a war we could eventually win but only if we acted together." "You created a wall that meant the virus couldn't reach those people it could easily take." She said Covid-19 cases had remained low as did the infection number of those with Covid-19. "If you get a sniffle or a sore throat, get a test quickly." "Please don't be a stoic Kiwi." Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said Level 2 from Thursday allowed a "far greater personal freedoms than under previous Alert Level settings". PM outlines Level 2 rules - 'You'll no longer need to stick to your bubble'. Last Thursday, Ms Ardern outlined the conditions of Alert Level 2. Level 2 meant most businesses can restart, bubbles can cease, domestic travel can start again and schools, tertiary institutions and early learning centres can completely reopen. Gatherings both indoors and outdoors will be limited to 100 people, home gatherings still must be kept small and hospitality establishments must require customers to be seated, separated and served by one person. Today is just under two weeks since the country moved from Alert Level 4 to 3. The country spent more than a month under strict Level 4 lockdown conditions.
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Christmas Eve busiest shopping day of the year with more than 500,000 sales
Busiest shopping day of the year
Peak time 12 noon-1 pm - 563,303 transactions
Per second peak - 167 transactions
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Number of sales beats Black Friday, but lowest Christmas Eve in six years
Christmas Eve has been the busiest shopping day of the year with 9,745 sales a minute at its peak.
Payments company Worldline says noon to 1pm saw 563,303 sales recorded on its network, down by about 7 percent on a year ago.
The company's network covers about three-quarters of the electronic terminals in operation.
Worldline did not have a dollar value for spending, but the peak number of transactions was the lowest for the past six years and well shy of the record 679,436 in 2019, before the pandemic.
Earlier this month it noted rising sales in the first three weeks of the month, but they remained 1.3 percent lower than 2024, with most parts of the country trailing the previous year's spending.
Official data from Stats NZ to the end of November showed a small rise in spending on the previous month, to 1.6 percent higher for the year.
Retail spending has been subdued as households have remained cautious because of high prices and a slow benefit from lower interest rates, and as well as concerns about the soft labour market.
However, recent surveys have shown improving consumer sentiment with ANZ bank's monthly report showing confidence at its highest level in four years.
Boxing Day is traditionally the country's favourite shopping day, but with Black Friday spending also softer this year the amount going through retailers' terminals may also be down on a year ago.
Adding a dampener to consumer spending may be the recent rises in longer term fixed mortgage rates because of higher wholesale rates.
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Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
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79.1% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
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20.9% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
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