The Government of New Zealand is scrapping the limit on outdoor gatherings from March 25th and has revealed the end of vaccine pass use and mandates for some industries from next month.
The ‘New Zealand Herald’ stated that the number of people allowed gathering inside increases from 100 to 200 under the changes to the red light traffic setting.
Masks will continue to be used, but the decision made on March 23rd means outdoor concerts, sports and other outdoor events would be able to resume under the red setting from this weekend.
The traffic light changes will kick in from 11.59 pm on March 25th, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, said.
Vaccine passes will no longer be required to be used from 11.59 pm on April 4th.
Added Ardern, “This is not the end, but in some ways it is also a new beginning. COVID is still with us and it will be for some time to come, that’s why we are keeping in place our COVID protection framework.”
Ardern didn’t close the door on the possibility of future lockdowns, saying the “whole world is reserving the flexibility should we see something dire” in terms of a new and deadlier variant. There is nothing we are currently experiencing that would suggest we will need [lockdowns] and that has been the case for a long time.”
There were 15 deaths, 1,016 people in hospital and 20,907 community COVID cases reported on March 22nd, with health chief Dr. Ashley Bloomfield saying case numbers had peaked in Auckland.
Experts meanwhile have warned not to relax restrictions too fast.
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