Phil Goff
Auckland, November 26, 2021
Shoppers waiting in queue as the retail sector reopened on November 10, 2021 (Westfield Albany)
Until the Delta variant of Covid-19 emerged, New Zealand was the most successful country in the world at keeping our people safe and having a close to normal life.
Ireland, for example, a country of similar size to New Zealand, has suffered more than 5000 deaths and experienced long periods of lockdown.
Sadly, despite largely closed borders, we were not able to keep Delta out.
However, our strong vaccination uptake, particularly in Auckland, means that restrictions will soon be relaxed as we move into the new Covid-19 Protection Framework or the Traffic Lights System. All of New Zealand will move to this system at 11:59 pm on Thursday, December 2, 2021, with Auckland moving initially into the Red state.
Auckland at Red Light
At Red, record keeping and scanning into venues will be required, and masks will be mandatory on flights and public transport, and in taxis, retail stores and public venues. Importantly, vaccination certificates will play a strong role in this setting.
Cafes, bars and restaurants and gyms will be able to open to up to 100 people but only if vaccination requirements are in place. If these businesses choose not to mandate vaccination for their customers, they will have to operate in either a contactless environment (for hospitality) or stay closed altogether (for gyms and barbers or hairdressers).
Incentive to vaccinate
This will serve as a strong incentive to get vaccinated, and if you know anyone who has not yet received their first dose, please encourage them to get it done as soon as possible. If it has been three weeks or more since your first dose, you can get your second at any time.
Being vaccinated will also mean that you can book a haircut in Auckland from November 25, 2021 in a new trial of the passport system, which I am sure will be a relief to many!
It will also make it much easier to travel beyond Auckland over the summer.
The government has announced that fully vaccinated Aucklanders will be able to leave the region from 15 December without getting a test. If you are not vaccinated, you will have to show a negative test within 72 hours of your departure. This requirement will remain in place during the core summer period, until January 17, 2022.
Lockdown has been hard this time. It has gone on much longer without the reward we got on earlier occasions of eliminating the virus. It has put pressure on our well-being and livelihoods.
Fortunately, the clear timelines now provided by the government offer some light at the end of the tunnel, and some ability to enjoy life with fewer restrictions.
This has been made possible by the high numbers of people – a vast majority of Aucklanders- who have stepped up to receive their dose. We are now one of the most highly vaccinated cities in the world.
As well as allowing greater freedoms, our high vaccination rate is also showing its effectiveness at controlling the virus, with health experts advising that its spread appears to be slowing.
This is great news but it is important not to be complacent. COVID-19 will continue to be a threat to all of us over the coming year at least, so we need to keep up with precautions.
Please continue to follow all the health rules—wear a mask when required, track your movements and if you have any symptoms, no matter how minor, please self-isolate and get tested. This will help ensure that we can all enjoy a fantastic summer with friends and family and without further lockdowns.
Phil Goff is Mayor of Auckland. He writes a regular Column in Indian Newslink.
