[ZERO] New Zealand will be retiring its COVID-19 traffic light system and significantly scaling down COVID restrictions from Sept. 13 so Kiwis could "move forward with certainty," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced.
"It’s time to safely turn the page on our COVID-19 management and live without the extraordinary measures we have previously used," Ardern said, calling it a "milestone."
With the abolition of the traffic light COVID protection framework, mask mandates will be lifted in all areas except in healthcare and aged care settings.
Household contacts will no longer need to isolate, while people tested positive to COVID-19 will continue to be required to isolate for seven days.
All government vaccine mandates will end on Sept. 26, and all vaccination requirements for incoming travellers and aircrew will also be removed.
After restrictions are lifted, it will be up to the employer’s discretion whether they will require workers to wear masks or get vaccinated for COVID-19. |