Posted on 09/12/2022 10:01:47 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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,”
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.
“In short, we now move on to a simple two requirements system of masks in healthcare settings and seven days isolation for positive cases only,” Ardern said.
The COVID-19 protection framework, or traffic light system, set out the rules for different traffic light settings, where red was the highest alert setting, and green meant no restrictions. At the time of removal, New Zealand was at orange.
The government also confirmed that COVID leave payments will continue.
COVID-19 Minister Ayesha Verrall also announced the purchase of an additional 40,000 anti-viral medicine courses, expected to arrive in New Zealand within days.
“So now, anyone over the age of 65, and Maori and Pacific people over the age of 50, or anyone who meets Pharmac requirements, can access the treatment in the early stages of contracting the virus.
“This means more than double the number of New Zealanders will be able to access these medicines if they need them than previously,” Verrall said.
Retail NZ welcomed the move to return New Zealand to a “sense of normality.”
“After over two years of being at the forefront of COVID-19 rules, alert level changes, low foot traffic, and nonsensical mask rules, retailers across New Zealand will be pleased with today’s revised approach,” Retail NZ Chief Executive Greg Harford said.
“The revision today largely brings New Zealand in line with most of the rest of the world.”
But Harford encouraged the government to further revise the isolation period down to between three to five days.
ACT party agreed with the idea, with ACT Leader David Seymour noting that New Zealand had among the strictest isolation rules in the world.
“Keeping people locked in their houses longer than is necessary imposes real costs to them and the economy without improving our COVID-19 response,” he said.
“New Zealand is holding on to a long COVID hangover. It turns out an ‘abundance of caution’ is an abundance of cost for New Zealanders.”
But they had to make sure Trump was really, truly gone before daring to let anyone out. :)
New Zealand’s “Emily Litella” Prime Minister says NEVER MIND.
“ “Keeping people locked in their houses longer than is necessary imposes real costs to them and the economy without improving our COVID-19 response”
Such a flippant response. No empathy or remorse. For the time wasted, nor the lives impacted negatively.
because these pukes already did their objective in murdering people by making them suffer and showing whose boss in the coming rESET OF 2030.
F off you authoritarian (murderous) assholes. I hope there’s some “karma-like” justice that finds all of you in this life, so that the good people of this world, that have suffered under your thumb, can all enjoy the show. 🖕😐
You mean the Kiwi’s get to have a tiny, teensy-weensy, itty-bit of their freedom back now, New Zealand?
Gee thanks.
And once again, all government over reach is predicated on a lie.
Pandemic cancelled. Seems to be a thing.
Heck, I remember when a mother was placed in handcuffs for doing nothing more than taking her children to a park, right here in the US because of “covid restrictions”.
I bet with all the earthquakes that have been happening out in that part of the world that the restrictions had to be lifted in order to start receiving aid once the big one hits out there. They’ve been experiencing 7.0+ size quakes as of late.
Hmm. Election a year away. Polling showing her Labor party behind and will likely lose the next election. Ardern’s personal approval at the lowest since 2017. COVID restrictions? Who needs COVID restrictions?
But still backing the PCR and mask narratives.
None of the abuses were necessary or beneficial. None of it. These people need to hang.
You can include those in this country as well.
This was always the plan.
Push people to the brink of rebellion then ease off somewhat, then when they have relaxed and forgotten put the screws to them again harder than before.
And the criminal government that put its people through that needless hell will never be brought to answer for it.
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