PM: Traffic light system could be gone post-winter
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says whether the Covid-19 traffic light system is the “framework we need” will be reviewed after winter health pressures ease.
It comes after Covid-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall announced yesterday the country will stay in the orange traffic light setting through winter, noting while case numbers were declining there was “still high” pressure on the health system due to Covid-19 and other illnesses.
“There’s still significant pressure on hospitals from winter illnesses, so our current measures have an ongoing role to play in reducing the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations,” said Verrall.
“The health system usually sees elevated pressure through September, so we would be hoping to see some sustained reductions in both cases and hospitalisations then.
“Our response to Omicron is moving in the right direction, but loosening settings before we are completely on top of it risks infections going up again. We just need to stay the course a little longer.”
Verrall said cases may have peaked at about 11,000 cases per day in mid-July.
“However due to the current high levels of Covid-19 infection in the community, the corresponding burden on primary and hospital care systems, and the highest levels of mortality seen in the outbreak so far the Covid-19 Protection Framework setting has been kept the same.”
There will be no changes to isolation requirements and the next review setting will be in September.
Ardern said as cases came down further they were hoping to in a month be “in a different position”.
“It is clear that masks are still making a big difference.
“It is clear that isolation of cases still matters enormously and that’s why orange remains important.
“In the future though we’ve also said that we’ll continue to look at whether or not the traffic light system still continues to provide the framework we need. The time and place to do that will be as we come out of winter.”
Verrall said the framework was not being used to deal with pressures on the health system aside from Covid19.
She said a decision on second booster vaccines for people aged under 50 would be made “in the next few weeks”. She said ongoing costs of providing the vaccines was not a factor in the decision.
National Party Covid-19 Response spokesman Chris Bishop said it was time to get rid of the Covid-19 Protection Framework. “We’ve spent 90 to 95 per cent of our time at either orange or red. We don’t think there’s a lot of utility in the framework and frankly we should just get rid of it, [replace with] some simpler rules.”
Under orange people are required to wear a mask in most indoor settings. People can visit cafes and bars, attend gatherings and events, and go to gyms and hairdressers — with no capacity limits or distancing requirements.