’ve turned the p e on COVID
COVID-19 has impacted everyon n Aotearoa. We’ve all made sacrifices to get where we are today. But thanks our hard mahi, we can now safely retire the COVID Protection Framework (t ffic lights).
Haere tonu
We’re moving forwards
With cases low, access to anti-viral medicines and most of our population vaccinated, it is now safe to retire the traffic light system.
Protecting lives and livelihoods remains the goal of our COVID response. We can now do that and provide greater certainty for people, their whānau, and businesses at the same time.
Some things stay the same
We still need to do our part to protect our health system and slow the spread of COVID.
We’re required to keep doing two familiar things:
Everyone should also:
1. Stay up to date with their vaccinations.
2. Seek treatment if you or your whānau are unwell.
3. Wear a mask when visiting people who are at high-risk of getting seriously ill from COVID.
Some places, such as workplaces, special events, or marae may ask people to wear a mask as a condition of entry.
Mental hea tools are available
COVID-19 has taken at l on everyone’s mental health. Effective mental health too are available to help people recover from the impact of the ndemic.
Find them at Covid19.govt.nz/menta ealth
Layers of protection still in pla
There are measures still in place to keep us safe fro the virus. Anti-viral medicines are available to those aged 6 and over, and Māori and Pacific Peoples aged 50 and over. This helps to protect at-risk people and communities, and help them get better, faster. There are systems in place to continue monitoring wastewater and the international COVID situation. Testing is available for international arrivals to keep track of any new variants entering the country.
This approach will keep us informed and safe, and you will be notified if there is anything to be aware of, or any action required.
New variants or case increases
If there is a dangerous new variant or pressure on the health system, some requirements may be temporarily introduced to manage the impact of the virus. These are familiar to us and will always be temporary.
Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua Taking our past learnings into the future
The past two and a half years have taught us a lot about COVID. But this virus is no longer the great unknown. We now have the tools to stay safe if we encounter any new variants in the future that put pressure on our health system.