Easing health restrictions in New Zealand

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday New Zealand will ease its health restrictions this week after the number of cases peaked, estimating the population largely for immunity.

Restrictions on outdoor gatherings will be lifted on Friday, allowing sporting events and concerts to go ahead without restrictions.

It added that the vaccination card will not be mandatory from April 4, and most vaccination requirements for certain categories of employees will be abolished.

“So far, more than 500,000 cases of Covid-19 have been reported and modeling experts estimate there are likely 1.7 million infections,” she said, acknowledging that “Covid (was) here to stay.” “This number, combined with the fact that 95% of New Zealanders have been fully vaccinated, means we now have a high level of herd immunity,” justifying the lifting of restrictions.

Last week, Ardern presented a plan to reopen borders early.

New Zealand has managed to keep Covid-19 at bay for most of the pandemic with strict border closures and strict restrictions. But Omicron caused a spike in infections, forcing the country to review its strategy.

Nearly 21,000 new cases were recorded on Tuesday, but only 177 coronavirus-related deaths have been counted among the five million population since the start of the pandemic.

Ms Ardern said vaccination requirements for the police, military and education sectors would be dropped, but kept for healthcare workers and border workers.

She denied any link between the move and the protests that blocked traffic around Parliament in Wellington for more than three weeks in late February.