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Wellington, December 4, 2021
New Zealand transitioned to the Covid-19 Protection Framework at 11.59 pm on Wednesday, October 2, 2021. All parts of the country moved to Red or Orange.
New Zealand was able to make this transition because its vaccination rates are on track to be some of the highest in the world.
At Red and Orange under the Framework, many places will require people to show a My Vaccine Pass to enter. This includes hospitality venues, close-proximity businesses (like hairdressers) and gyms. My Vaccine Pass can also be used at events, retail businesses, gatherings, and public facilities.
People who do not yet have their My Vaccine Pass should sign up to My Covid Record at www.mycovidrecord.health.nz to download their pass. It can also be requested on 0800-222478. Pharmacies and some vaccination centres are also able to assist people in getting access to their My Vaccine Pass.
A list of participating pharmacies is available on the Healthpoint website.
For fully vaccinated people, life at Orange will be close to normal. People will be able to go everywhere with their My Vaccine Pass.
At Red, there will be capacity limits of 100 at some places.
Everyone is encouraged to follow the new rules at the new Framework (Traffic Lights), including the use of My Vaccine Pass where mandated. This will ensure that we are all kept safe and businesses can remain open and operational.
Police support for compliance
There will be a graduated enforcement model in place to support business compliance, with an emphasis on education first as businesses work out how best to implement new requirements. Police will focus on helping people understand what the changes mean through its education and engagement approach. People will still be able to report a breach of the rules at the Unite Against Covid-19 website.
It is expected that there will be Covid-19 cases in communities around New Zealand.
Fully vaccinated people are less likely to develop serious illnesses and less likely to be hospitalised. The new Care in the Community model means most people will be able to safely isolate themselves at home.
There is always a period of adjustment when changes are made to settings and this will be the same with the move to the new Covid-19 Protection Framework.
Supporting material and resources:
A4 printable simplified guide to the Traffic Light settings: available here
A3 detailed guide to the Traffic Light settings: available here
FAQs and key messages (including for MVP)
There are a wide range of posters, videos, and social media tiles available to support businesses, workplaces, communities groups and organisations with the transition from the alert level system to the Covid-19 Protection Framework.
About My Vaccine Pass
Where My Vaccine Pass is used, people’s My Vaccine Pass must be either sighted or verified. The New Zealand Pass Verifier App is the easiest way for businesses and other organisations to verify people’s My Vaccine Pass.
My Vaccine Passes have been issued to more than 2.7 million individuals.
This means more than 95% of people who requested a My Vaccine Pass have received their pass and are ready for New Zealand to move to the traffic lights.
Anyone who does not yet have their pass should sign up to My Covid Record at mycovidrecord.health.nz to download their My Vaccine Pass.
Pharmacies and some vaccination centres are also able to assist people in getting access to their My Vaccine Pass. A list of participating pharmacies is available on the Healthpoint website.
People who do not have My Vaccine Pass must access basic needs services at all colour settings. This includes supermarkets, dairies, petrol stations, public transport, pharmacies and essential healthcare. This also applies to specific education and housing services.
Source: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Wellington
