Passengers wear masks aboard a Wellington bus during Covid-19 level 2 restrictions in 2021. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Wellington commuters are once again frustrated by an influx of cancelled bus services in the capital.
Metlink senior manager Matthew Chote said some of the drivers have come down with Covid-19, causing a number of cancellations.
Chote said there were more drivers on standby, and he expected services to return to normal over the coming days.
This fifth wave of Covid-19 is proving to be larger than the last, with 6558 new cases reported in the past week.
Epidemiologist Michael Baker told Morning Report many people seemed oblivious to the pandemic, but complacency would not keep people safe.
"People should do everything they can to avoid getting infected over and over again and that's regardless of your age," he explained, noting recurrent Covid infections left "a scarring effect on some organs and the lining of your blood vessels", potentially increasing the risk of Long Covid.
In December, the regional council said the city could expect an end to the years-long "bustastrophe" which had seen the capital plagued by cancellations and delays, caused primarily by a nationwide shortage of bus drivers.
Masks have not been a requirement for use on public transport since late 2022.