So what do the changes actually mean.

Malinauskas said amendments to the Public Health Act now meant that new restrictions could not be imposed, only reduced.

"The level of restrictions we have at the moment is the baseline from which we will hopefully only see easing," he said.

But he admitted a new variant or other factors could prompt a new state of emergency.

The mandate for masks in schools will also lift at the end of the week.However - they're not going far.

Schools will be required to monitor case numbers in their student body.

If more than 10 cases are found in one classroom, that school will see masks return.

The same will apply if more than five cases are found in five different classes across the school.