Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced this afternoon the levels at which different parts of New Zealand will move forward into the COVID-19 Protection Framework Traffic Light System this Friday. The following regions will move into Red.
- Northland
- Auckland
- Taupō
- Rotorua Lakes Districts
- Kawerau
- Whakatane
- Ōpōtiki Districts
- Gisborne District
- Wairoa District
- Rangitikei
- Whanganui
- Ruapehu Districts
The rest of the North Island and the whole of the South Island will start at Orange.
Information about life in the Traffic Light System is available at the Unite Against COVID-19 website.
Prime Minister Ardern also announced that booster shots are now available to anyone who has received their 2nd dose six or more months ago. She encouraged the 160,889 Kiwis due for a second dose to do so.
Over the weekend, nine southern African countries were added to the Very High Risk list of countries following public health advice around the newly reported COVID-19 variant Omicron. Only those with New Zealand citizenship will be allowed to enter New Zealand from those countries. They will be required to stay at MIQ for the full 14 days, will be required to have 5 tests during their stay, and test negative before leaving quarantine.
The nine countries added this afternoon are South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi, and Mozambique. Omicron was first detected in South Africa. There are now cases in Denmark, Netherlands, and Australia. At this stage New Zealand has no cases of Omicron.
Currently 85% of the eligible New Zealand population has had two doses of the vaccine with 92% having the first dose. 82% of the New Zealand’s Pasifika population have had two doses with 91% having the first dose.
Image Credit: Ministry of Health / New Zealand Government