New Zealanders are visiting beaches and queuing for takeaway food as tough lockdown measures enforced to beat an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus are eased for most of the country, reports Reuters.

About 1.7 million people in the largest city of Auckland still remain in strict level four lockdown for another two weeks, but restrictions for the remainder of the country are loosened.

However, schools and offices remain shut nationwide and businesses can only provide contactless services.

New Zealand has reported 75 new cases of Covid-19 cases today (Wednesday), up from 49 a day earlier. Of these, 74 are in Auckland and one is a household contact in Wellington. The total cases from the current outbreak have risen to 687, nearly all in Auckland.