Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the nation’s vaccine pass and mandate system will begin to lift once New Zealand is through its Omicron peak in March
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Ardern spoke directly to the protesters, saying the mandates would not be lifting due to their actions but because they were always temporary and have done the job of protecting the healthcare system through the peak in cases. Ardern said as case numbers fall, New Zealand will would move down through its staged “traffic light” alert system, removing limits on gatherings and other restrictions.Ardern said the government would also ease mandates and wind back the use of vaccine passes, but did not put a date on these changes.
National leader Christopher Luxon on Monday called for vaccine mandates on border workers, hospitality, and teenage sports to end as soon as the Omicron “peak” was over.