New Zealand lifted most Covid restrictions as the worry reduced

September 13, 2022: -On Monday, New Zealand scrapped mask-wearing rules and vaccine mandates, completing some of the most burdensome Covid-19 pandemic rules about two years after they were fitted in its place.

In a weekly news conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated that it was time to safely turn the page on the Covid-19 management of the country and live without the extraordinary measures it once used.

“Finally, rather than feeling that Covid dictates what happens to us, our lives, and our futures, we take back control,” Ardern said.

“For the first time in two years, we can approach summer with the much-needed certainty New Zealanders and business need, helping to drive greater economic activity critical to our economic recovery,” she added.

All mask-wearing requirements were removed, except in healthcare and aged care facilities. Only Covid-19 positive individuals will be required to isolate for seven days, while the government said home contacts no longer needed.

All government vaccine mandates will also be scrapped on September 26, Ardern said, and further noted that employers will now decide whether or not they require their workforce to be vaccinated.

The government will also release all vaccination requirements for incoming travelers and aircrew.

New Zealand’s swift response to the pandemic, rigid pandemic rules, and its geographic isolation kept it essentially free from the virus until the end of last year.

This year, the government dropped its zero-Covid policy once the population was vaccinated. Since then, the virus has been permitted to spread. There have been 1,950 deaths, and about 1.7 million confirmed Covid-19 cases.