On Wednesday, shops and malls in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, flung their doors open for the first time in three months as the city gradually reopened after the strict lockdown following the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
Due to pent-up demand, retail stores filled up within hours of reopening, and some shoppers reportedly queued overnight outside malls to take advantage of early bird offers at some stores.
Libraries, museums and zoos were also allowed to welcome visitors after the government relaxed coronavirus restrictions in response to rising vaccination rates and mounting pressure from critics demanding more freedom.
However, the hospitality industry remained closed.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the hospitality sector will reopen as soon as Auckland meets its vaccination target during her first visit to the city since it was shut down on August 17th.
Apart from the 1.7 million Aucklanders and residents of some neighbouring regions, life has largely returned to normalcy in the rest of the country, despite the country’s borders remaining tightly shut.
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