Trafficlight system set to be revealed

WELLINGTON: The Government is set to make a raft of major Covid19 announcements this week, including on more business support, how to reopen schools and new vaccination targets that will lead to an easing of alert level restrictions.

The targets are to ensure there are not pockets of unvaccinated people in the community, which could lead to a large cluster and put pressure on the health system.

Directorgeneral of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has previously talked about 90%plus as a minimum, which is likely to take Auckland at least another four weeks.

Once targets are reached, the new trafficlight framework will be used, including different rules for the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, depending on the level of risk.

How Auckland schools will reopen will also be revealed tomorrow, which health experts say needs to include clear guidance on ventilating classrooms.

It comes as Prime Minister

Jacinda Ardern conceded that Aucklanders, who are now facing weeks 10 and 11 in lockdown, needed to be given more information on what happens next.

Yesterday, the Cabinet decided it was too risky to ease Level 3 restrictions in Auckland for at least another two weeks, a move welcomed by University of Otago epidemiologist Prof Michael Baker as ‘‘suitably cautious’’.

However, Ms Ardern gave a clear indication that Level 4 remained in the toolkit, but the Cabinet had followed the advice of Auckland public health teams that it would ‘‘not necessarily’’ see a drop in case numbers.

Aucklanders now needed an idea of the pathway out of lockdown, she said.

‘‘We cannot ask people to live week by week, not knowing when things will change, or how to help things speed up. We know that needs to change. And we have a plan on how.’’

She will reveal the trafficlight system on Friday, although it may not come into force for several weeks — or even months.

Ms Ardern would not say if the targets would cover the same groups she identified in her plan to start reopening the borders — the vulnerable, including Maori and Pasifika, as well as the 65s and over, young adults, and the regions.

Friday’s version would be different to the draft version, she said.

Business NZ chief executive Kirk Hope said yesterday Auckland businesses needed more help.

‘‘There’s very little financial and emotional resilience left in some areas of the business community in Auckland,’’ Mr Hope said.

Sixty new community cases of Covid19 were reported yesterday.

There were 2,771,914 people fully vaccinated yesterday, 66% of the eligible population. —