New Zealand announces major changes to Covid Management
Venkat Raman
Auckland, March 23, 2022
Key Points:
Traffic Lights System will remain. We are now at Red; this will be reviewed on April 4, 2022
Gathering limits for outdoor events removed- Sports, Concerts and others can be held
Gathering limits for indoors increased from 100 to 200. However, facial masks essential
For Businesses: No Scanning or display of QR Codes; no inspection of vaccination passes
All vaccine mandates will be removed from April 4, 2022
The government has announced significant changes to its Covid Management Programme with some restrictions removed, making it easier for people to move about and assemble in public, places of worship
From midnight on Friday, March 25, 2022, the number of persons who can be seated in bars, hotels and restaurants has been increased from 100 to 200; this could be reduced if the owners and managers of these places decide on social distancing.
Facemasks will be required at indoor events during the Red and Orange settings.
Event organisers will be happy to know that there will be no restrictions on the number of people who can gather outdoors- that is concerts, exhibitions and events. However, these events, if held indoors, should not have more than 500 persons.
Other changes coming
Among the other significant announcements made by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern this morning were (1) Vaccine Pass requirements will be removed from April 4, 2022, and all mandates will also end on that day (2) Vaccine mandates will also be removed for all sectors from this day except for health and disability workers, including aged care workers, prison staff and border workers. Businesses can however choose to introduce workforce vaccination requirements following their own health and safety assessments.
The current Red Setting under the Traffic Lights System will remain in force, probably as a measure of ‘wait and watch’ as Omicron peaks and begins to decline.
The government will review the Traffic Lights setting on April 4, 2022.
While the country may move to the Orange setting thereafter, indications are that we may enter Green settings only after winter this year.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made the people aware of the existence of the Orange and Green settings but did not say when the country will move to these.
“It is the right time to review the restrictions as we approach the peak of the outbreak. The tools that we developed helped us to keep Covid under check. Our focus is not to make life simpler and closer to normal,” Ms Ardern told a media conference in Wellington.
The Safety factor
While the decision of the government to relax the Covid regulations has been received well by the business sector, there are some apprehensions among the vulnerable and the aged people. Ms Ardern said that the regulations are being relaxed based on the advice of the Strategic Covid-19 Public Health Advisory Group.
“With our high vaccination rate and the immunity acquired from the current outbreak, we can manage future waves of Omicron with less restrictive settings. The minimisation and protection strategy remains the best approach for the current phase of our response, with the virus continuing to evolve and new variants emerging around the world. Our strategy will continue to reflect the new and emerging evidence about the virus and the effectiveness of vaccines. As the virus has changed, so has our approach,” she said.
Ms Ardern said that some restrictions have been retained to deal with emerging variants and other Covid concerns.
Not a Seasonal Flu
Ms Ardern explained why the government is not treating Covid-19 as a Seasonal Flu.
“Why Covid-19 and the seasonal flu are contagious and respiratory illnesses, they are significantly different. While the flu can cause serious illness in people, Covid-19, especially the Omicron variant, is more transmissible and has a much higher death rate. The World Health Organisation estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes each year worldwide, compared to six million deaths due to Covid,” she said.
A person with Covid-19 cannot return to the workplace until seven days after their symptoms started or the date they were tested and must inform their employer. Businesses may not require a worker to return to work during their isolation period of seven days. Employers must provide sick leave in accordance with their policies, employment agreements and minimum rights. A leave support scheme is also available to support payment of workers during their absence due to Covid.
