Ardern Says New Zealand to Move to New Covid Alert System Dec. 3

(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country will shift into a new alert system to manage Covid-19 on Dec. 3, a step that moves away from the use of lockdowns and will allow all businesses to operate.

All of New Zealand will move into the Covid-19 Protection Framework at midnight on Dec. 2, making Dec. 3 the first day the so-called traffic-light system will be operational, Ardern told a news conference Monday in Wellington. Each region will then be put into red, orange or green settings depending on their vaccination levels and exposure to Covid-19.

“Decisions on what color each region will move into will be confirmed on 29 November, giving regions time to drive up vaccination rates further,” Ardern said. Auckland will enter at red, and no region will start at green, she said.

Auckland has been at the epicenter of New Zealand’s outbreak of the delta variant since it was first detected in the community in August. The city will exit lockdown when the traffic-light system is adopted and the temporary border around it will be lifted on Dec. 15, allowing Aucklanders to travel. 

A key difference between the current alert level system and the new one is that vaccine passes will be required to enter places like bars, gyms and restaurants. 

Ardern said Auckland hairdressers and barbers will be allowed to open from Nov. 25, trialling the vaccine passes to ensure the transition into the new system goes as smoothly as possible the following week.

New Zealand recorded 205 new community cases of Covid-19 Monday and one death.

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