He admitted he was initially ‘‘surprised’’ by the decision to move the whole country into Alert Level 4 after a 58-year-old man in Devonport tested positive for Covid-19. ‘‘We have seen before how difficult it is to actually close the borders to Auckland.’’It was important that people in the South Island remained vigilant, he said. Those were, he said, making QR scanning mandatory for high-risk indoor environments and revising the alert level system, so it was more clear when masks were required. The Southern District Health Board said in a statement a move to Alert Level 4 meant the majority of scheduled surgeries and outpatient appointments would be postponed for three days and would be reassessed depending on alert level changes. A spokeswoman said today the change to Alert Level 4 meant all degrees would now be conferred and diplomas awarded in absentia.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 18, 2021 00:33 UTC