Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: Government reviewing traffic light system

Public servants are reviewing the traffic light system to see if it is fit for purpose as New Zealand battles Omicron. The review will look at the future of the vaccine passes.

The traffic light system, officially called the Covid protection framework, was developed as New Zealand was battling the Delta variant.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), which manages a large part of the Covid response, told the Governance and Administration select committee on Wednesday morning that the system would now be reviewed. It is not clear whether the review is a wholesale review of the efficacy of the framework, or low-level tweaking.

Under questioning from National's Covid-19 spokesman Chris Bishop, DPMC deputy chief executive, COVID-19 Response Group Cheryl Barnes said "we are at the direction of Cabinet having a look at the Covid protection framework in light of Omicron and where any adjustments may need to be made in future".

"That will include a look at the use of vaccination certificates as part of that framework," she said.

"We are constantly reviewing and advising as things change," she said.

Barnes said the report would go back to ministers "in the next month or two".

Bishop said the review was "good".

"Omicron has clearly changed the game and our settings have to change too".

Health experts including epidemiologist Michael Baker have previously called for a review of the traffic light system.

Baker has previously said it was time to "move on" from the traffic light system, calling it "far too crude" for Omicron.

"Omicron will behave very differently; it needs a different set of interventions to dampen transmission.

"Every single one of those pillars needs to change for Omicron. That's by far our biggest threat. Everything needs to be revised to deal with this new virus that behaves quite differently."