New community cases of Covid-19 see Auckland back in alert level 3

If this email is not displayed correctly, [click here]( to view an online version. One of the coronavirus patients works for Americold in Mt Wellington. Staff there are now being tested. There are 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus linked to a [south Auckland family who recently tested positive](. All cases are in Auckland and are [being treated as a cluster](. They will be moved to a quarantine facility, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says. Some of the cases [work at Americold]( in Mount Wellington, while others are linked to Finance Now. Lines of cars and people waiting to be tested for Covid-19 in Auckland’s St Lukes on Thursday. Queues at a central Auckland [coronavirus testing stretched back almost a kilometre]( on Thursday as the region entered day two of alert level 3. It follows massive demand for testing on Wednesday, leaving people waiting hours in line. On Thursday, a testing station in St Lukes had a line of cars stretching 950 metres just before 10am. [Here's where you can get tested.]( Auckland’s Queen St in the CBD was deserted on Thursday morning. With only local and essential travel permitted in New Zealand's most populated city, days one and two of coronavirus alert level 3 lockdown in Auckland saw the [city's central business district looking eerily empty](. Visual journalists David White and Jason Dorday hit normally busy and popular spots to capture the change. We are set to find out at 5.30pm on Friday whether Auckland will stay in level 3 for longer. Enjoying this email? [Check out Stuff's other daily and weekly newsletters](. Auckland is currently at alert level 3 and masks are advised to be worn when out and about. Few Aucklanders seem to be choosing [to wear masks]( in public, despite Covid-19 being [back in the community](. Masks are now mandatory for people on domestic flights and “strongly urged” for everyone else in public. On Thursday morning Stuff found [fewer than one in five Aucklanders]( were wearing masks while going for walks, runs or coffee. Bus will still run to timetable during the level 3 restrictions. Auckland Transport has [re-introduced special rules]( from the earlier lockdown, such as use of only the rear door on buses and keeping clear the two front rows of seats. Services will continue to run as normal during the three-day alert level 3 restrictions to midnight Friday, but [social distancing of two metres is required on board]( and wearing masks is recommended. This weekend’s We Love Aotearoa events have been postponed. The national commemoration for the 75th anniversary of the Second World War has been cancelled following the discovery of community coronavirus cases, along with concerts and cultural events across the country. The move to alert level 3 means no public gatherings are now allowed in Auckland. Head [here]( for details. You've received this email because you have opted in to receive Auckland news updates from Stuff Did a friend forward this to you? [Sign up to get Auckland News: In case you missed it]( to your inbox [Unsubscribe]( [Newsletter Settings]( [Privacy Policy]( [Advertise]( [Feedback](