October 22 2021
New Zealand will move to a new "traffic light" system to manage Covid-19 when district health boards have 90 per cent of their eligible population vaccinated.
The Government has today made an announcement on how the country will handle Covid-19 in the future and what they are doing to help Kiwis get there. Here's all you need to know.
When New Zealand will move out of the current alert level restrictions
While there is no set date, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today announced the country would move into the new traffic light system when each District Health Board has 90 per cent of its population with both doses of the vaccine.
Auckland could move to the red level of the new system before the rest of the country if its three DHBs hit 90 per cent before the whole country does.
Ardern said Auckland was scheduled to hit its target before Christmas, meaning relative freedoms will return by the summer.
Once every DHB has 90 per cent of its population double vaccinated the whole country will move to the orange level.
The Government will review the situation on November 29 to see if changes should be made before everywhere hits 90 per cent. The South Island may be able to move to the new framework earlier than the North Island if vaccination rates are high enough, Ardern said.
How the new traffic light system works
There are three stages, but all three allow relatively high rates of freedom compared to the current alert level system. However, they will also require the use of vaccine certificates for nearly everything apart from essential retail and services, like supermarkets and GPs.
Red will be used when there is an outbreak and the health system is facing an "unsustainable number of hospitalisations".
Unlike at current alert levels, everything will be allowed to remain open during an outbreak.
Hospitality will be open but patrons must be seated and separated. There will be a 100-person cap. Gyms and hairdressers will be allowed to remain open. These will all require a vaccine certificate.
Gatherings, including weddings, funerals, places of worship and marae, will be limited to 100 people based on 1m spacing if vaccination certificates are used. They will be limited to 10 people if they are not used.
People will still be encouraged to work from home.
For places where vaccination certificates are not used, settings similar to alert level 3 will apply, like contactless retail and hospitality.
Scanning in or record keeping continues to be required and masks are mandatory on flights, public transport, taxis, retail and public venues. It is recommended they are worn whenever leaving the house.
Orange
The orange level will indicate a limited outbreak, but there is an "increasing" risk to at risk populations. The health system is "focusing resources" on Covid, but it can still manage as a whole.
For businesses that use vaccination certificates, there will be no numerical caps but some public health measures such as distancing, which will effectively cap numbers.
Schools are open, but there are public health measures. Gatherings, churches and marae will be able to operate as normal if they use vaccination certificates.
Scanning in or record keeping continues to be required and masks are mandatory on flights, public transport, taxis, retail and public venues. It is recommended they are worn whenever leaving the house.
Green
Green will mean effectively no public health measures. It is for when there is limited community transmission.
For businesses that use vaccination certificates, there are no limits on hospitality or gatherings.
For places where vaccination certificates are not used, restrictions like masking will be required and there will be caps of 100 people on hospitality and gatherings.
Scanning in or record keeping continues to be required and face coverings are mandatory on flights. People are encouraged to wear masks in indoor settings.
No plan yet on when or how to lift the Auckland border
Ardern said the Government was working on a way to allow Aucklanders to move out of the region but for now the border needed to remain in place.
She said the border was part of the transition to the traffic light system and was helping contain the outbreak and keep the rest of the country safe while lifting vaccination rates.
But hard borders would not be part of our future, she said.
Keeping the Auckland border in place was what was going to allow the region to move to the traffic light system, with fewer restrictions, before the rest of the country, Ardern said.
The border is really part of this transition that we've got at the moment. It is helping us contain this outbreak so we will keep using it. Particularly because we need to make sure the rest of NZ is safe while we vaccinate.
However, the Government was looking into ways to enable Aucklanders to move out of the region without the virus going with them.
Ardern said that was likely to require the use of vaccine certificates and a testing regime,
"It is a considerable logistical exercise. New Zealand doesn't use land borders in the same way that other states and countries do but we are determined to try and find a way."
When that would happen remained uncertain.
Ardern said she realised people would want to be reunited with friends and family outside of the region for the holiday period so they had set a goal to establish whether or not it would be possible "well in time for those milestones".
"If you want to be able to move beyond Auckland, get vaccinated," she said.
More help for businesses hit by alert level restrictions
Finance Minister Grant Robertson today announced a boost to the resurgence support payment available to businesses hit hard by the current alert levels.
From November 12, the amount available to businesses receiving the payment would double.
That means eligible businesses will be paid at a base rate $3000 per fortnight and $800 for each full-time employee up to a maximum of 50 full-time staff. This will make the maximum fortnightly payment for a business $43,000.
It will be available until Auckland moves into the new traffic light framework.
The wage subsidy payments would also continue through the transition period, Robertson said. This would continue while parts of the country remained in alert level 3.
The estimated cost of providing both the weekly resurgence support payment and the wage subsidy was up to $940 million per fortnight, he said.
Robertson said ministers had agreed, in principle, there would be a transition payment made available to support businesses when they moved into the new framework.
On top of that, a $60m package for business advice and mental health support would be made available to help Auckland businesses through the transition period.
Businesses will be able to apply for up to $3000 worth of advice and planning support, and then receive up to $4000 to implement that advice through the established Regional Business Partners programme.
As part of the package, $10m is available for mental health and wellbeing support through a programme to be designed with the EMA and Auckland Business Chamber of Commerce.
Help for low income workers
Income limits for Hardship Support through the Ministry of Social Development have been temporarily lifted so more people can receive assistance.
Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced the income limit to receive help would be lifted to 40 hours at minimum wage which equates to $800 per week for an individual and $1600 per week for a couple with or without children.
This will come into effect from November 1 and remain in place until February 28, 2022.
The plan to raise Māori vaccination rates
Ministers Peeni Henare and Willie Jackson also announced a $120m fund to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the implementation of the new Covid-19 Protection Framework.
The first phase, worth $60m, will provide direct financial support to iwi and Māori community providers to accelerate vaccination uptake over the next two months.
It will start next week, complement the existing vaccination roll-out efforts and focus on areas where Māori vaccination rates are low – currently Counties Manukau, Lakes District, Taranaki and Tairawhiti, Northland and Bay of Plenty DHB areas.
Priority groups identified by the Ministry of Health, including rangatahi, tangata whaikaha, and whānau in remote communities, would also be a focus.
The second phase, worth another $60m, will support iwi, Māori-led and community-designed preparedness initiatives in an effort to build and adapt community social infrastructure for the new framework.
Examples of activities that might be funded include support for testing and other public health measures under the new framework; community outreach and mobilisation of resources to support rapid responses to any outbreak; and support for diagnosis and home-isolation.
Funding for the second phase will be available in early November.
