Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced Auckland and all other red regions, excluding Northland, will move to Covid-19 framework setting orange at 11.59 pm on Thursday 30 December.
Cabinet met today to consider whether any regions would move to a different setting under the system. After today's announcement, no further changes are planned until after the summer holiday period in mid-January.
Earlier today, Ardern told Morning Report New Zealand was still in a transition phase under the new Covid-19 protection framework.
She said Cabinet would consider all competing interests, but that the government wanted to give some certainty to Aucklanders.