During a visit to the University of Auckland PM Jacinda Ardern said that the Covid traffic light system will be reviewed, and potentially scrapped in the next "couple of weeks". Video / NZ Herald
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says after living with the traffic light system for nearly a year, now is the time to look at whether those settings are still "fit for purpose".
Speaking to media today, Ardern said the Government was not just looking at a review of the traffic light system but at "broader settings more generally".
"We have a regular process of looking at what our current case numbers are," Ardern said.
"We've been living with the traffic light system for upwards to a year now - now is the time for us to look at whether all those settings are fit for purpose. We include masks in that," Ardern said.
Ardern said the settings would be reviewed in light of the changing seasons modifying the risk profile of the pandemic.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins speaking at the University of Auckland. Photo /Jed Bradley
Immigration New Zealand has reopened visa applications for foreign students and numbers are expected to rise for the 2023 academic year.
Student numbers have plunged from an estimated 52,000 in New Zealand before the pandemic to just 12,000 earlier this year.
Universities have warned it could be several years until the number of foreign students returns to pre-pandemic levels.
Govt looks at scrapping mask mandates in some settings
The report says providers are concerned about the impact of the proposed changes, and that rushed consultation could lead to the voices of disabled people not being properly heard.
An email sent to disability support providers by the Ministry of Disabled People this week asked for feedback within 24 hours on a proposal to "significantly narrow" where masks had to be worn.
The requirement for visitors to wear a mask would only extend to primary care, urgent care, hospitals, aged residential care, and disability related residential care.
Other health services such as dentists, physiotherapists, optometrists, audiologists, counselling, home-based care and clinical psychologists would become exempt.
There would continue to be no legal requirement for mask use for healthcare workers, or patients, in all health service settings.
It was proposed mandates would remain in place for all people in publicly accessible areas of pharmacies.
Ardern said on Monday New Zealand's traffic light settings would be reviewed by Cabinet in a fortnight.
For the change to be made, Ardern would have to oversee a tweak to the Orange setting to allow the mask mandate to be dropped across a specific area or areas.
The country was under the Orange setting, which mandated masks in some areas such as supermarkets and shopping malls. If the level were to shift to the green setting, mask requirements would be dropped completely.
They were given less than 24 hours to respond.
PM defends tax U-turn
Yesterday, Ardern defended the Government's attempts to introduce a tax on GST on KiwiSaver fees.
The tax would have reduced KiwiSaver balances by $103 billion between when it was introduced in 2026 and 2070, when the first people who enter the workforce around the time the change comes into force will retire.
The tax lasted just 24 hours before being killed by the Government.
Ardern said KiwiSaver was incredibly important to them as a Labour Government.
"It was a Labour government that brought it in," she said.
"We've seen millions of New Zealanders take up that opportunity to make sure they're preparing for their retirement. We don't want to do anything to undermine that."
