MOSCOW: New Zealand will lift a mandatory vaccination requirement on April 4, and review further easing of Covid-19 restrictions, possibly moving from the red to orange alert level, reported Sputnik.
“From 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 4, vaccine passes will no longer be required as part of the Covid-19 protection framework,“ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on air of the 1News broadcaster on Wednesday.
The prime minister clarified that education, police and defence workers, as well as businesses operating vaccine passes will no longer be obliged to provide a vaccine pass, while health, disability, aged care, and border services will still be obliged to stick to the Covid-19 restrictions.
“Now with more tools and one of the most highly vaccinated nations in the world, it means we can keep moving forward,“ Ardern added.
Last Wednesday, New Zealand announced its border reopening plans in order to accelerate the economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic. Ardern said that all vaccinated Australians can enter the country from April 12, while vaccinated tourists from visa-waiver countries can enter the country from May 1. Tourism contributed 5.5 per cent to GDP before the pandemic in New Zealand, while also employing 8 per cent of national workforce. — Bernama
