Orange traffic light

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed the entire country will drop from red to the orange traffic light setting from 11.59pm tonight, ...

It may be less than that." We absolutely have." Hipkins said masks are still required on public transport and flights. Hipkins said the traffic light system may be used in response to a combination of Covid-19 and influenza. "It is very challenging for schools, it has proven to be one of the most challenging Covid-19 requirements." He said it had been three weeks since the most recent simplification to the traffic light system, and despite the "significant relaxation of the settings, we've continued to see positive improvements in the overall trajectory".

The country will move to the less restrictive orange traffic light pandemic response setting from 11.59pm tonight. The Covid-19 Response Minister Chris ...

The vaccination status of 2 per cent of cases was unknown. Here's what you can and can't do in the orange traffic light setting. "I'm just looking forward to having a mask-free dinner with my wife." Generally, I encourage people to keep using them where it's practical." University of Auckland paediatrician Dr Jin Russell called for a mask mandate in schools for the orange setting, and for those rules to be reviewed after winter. Of the 15 people who have died, one was from Northland, four from the Auckland region, one from Waikato, one from Bay of Plenty, one from Lakes DHB area, two from MidCentral, three from Nelson Marlborough and two from Canterbury. "Since then mandates and vaccine passes had been removed. Meanwhile, there are 9495 new cases of Covid-19 in the community and 551 people are in hospital including 27 in ICU. There have been 15 deaths. "It is very challenging for schools, it has proven to be one of the most challenging Covid-19 requirements." Asked about an acceptable rate of cases and death, Hipkins said there was no "acceptable" rate" and they would continue doing all they could to keep it as close to zero as possible. Despite this relaxation there had been a positive trajectory in the outbreak." Hipkins said despite the "significant relaxation of the settings, we've continued to see positive improvements in the overall trajectory".

UPDATE: All of New Zealand will move to the orange traffic light setting at 11.59pm tonight. Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins made the annoucement ...

“It’s also important to make a plan in case you get Covid-19 on holiday. Next to being vaccinated and having a booster, face masks are our main defence against Covid-19 at Orange. There are no limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings at the orange setting and face masks are not required in as many places. The government is set to reveal today whether any part of the country will drop to the orange traffic light setting in time for Easter. “But there is still Omicron in the community, and the threat of new variants arriving here is still risk, so I urge everyone to continue to be cautious and think about the health of others, especially those who are immunocompromised or at higher risk of long-term health impacts from infection. UPDATE: All of New Zealand will move to the orange traffic light setting at 11.59pm tonight.

Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins made the announcement this afternoon.

In general they are one to four weeks behind Auckland. The most behind is the West Coast, which only peaked last week,” he said. He said various district health boards in the North Island, including Northland, Taranaki and MidCentral, were not ready for orange. One fix is to say let’s make masks compulsory in schools until we’re through winter,” he said. We have just passed 500 deaths in this country, which two years ago would have been completely unacceptable. “This really concerns me. There is no longer an outdoor gathering limit at any colour setting.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said "the overall picture is a very positive one."

He said there was a case for some schools to use masks currently, as the Omicron outbreak continues. The next review of settings will be in the middle of May. He said the fall in cases and hospitalisations and arrival of new antiviral medications meant the death rate was also falling, all justifying a relaxation in settings.

If ministers did agree to the shift, it would mean looser restrictions for Kiwis over the long Easter weekend. At orange, there are no indoor gathering limits ...

While people can sing, dance and even make out in a hospitality venue under the Orange traffic light setting, people will still be required to wear a mask ...

"At a hospitality venue you're typically consuming food and drink. "There are going to be a lot more people in the supermarket on a weekly basis than are going to be out and about pashing on a dance floor." "In retail, people aren't going to be consuming food and drink."

At a lot of places, masks will no longer be required - including in schools.

Staff and teachers have to wear medical grade face masks when working with students in Year 4 or above. Performers and speakers are encouraged to wear a mask when they aren't performing or speaking. In the red setting students in Year 4 or above were required to wear masks when indoors, on public transport and on school transport. In schools, students and teachers would no longer have to wear masks. When visiting a cafe, bar or any other hospitality venue, patrons will no longer have to wear a mask when going to and leaving the premises, when using the bathroom or when paying. At the beginning of April the Government chose to keep the country at the red setting due to significant pressure on the health system and cases rising in parts of the country other than Auckland.

The country will move to the less restrictive orange traffic light pandemic response setting from 11.59pm tonight. The Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hi.

"Since then mandates and vaccine passes had been removed. Orange for Easter! NZ to move to new traffic light setting from midnight; 9495 new community cases Auckland business leaders have called for the city to move to orange today, regardless of what happens with the rest of the country. Orange for Easter! NZ to move to new traffic light setting from midnight; 9495 new community cases Meanwhile, there are 9495 new cases of Covid-19 in the community and 551 people are in hospital including 27 in ICU. There have been 15 deaths. The country will move to the less restrictive orange traffic light pandemic response setting from 11.59pm tonight.

ANALYSIS: When restrictions drop, there's an inevitable outcry from those worried about health outcomes. So what will the move to orange actually do?

It's the kind of work we need you to support. It's a subtle message to the brain; don't be stupid, Omicron's not over. Bars will throw open the doors. Concerts will hope for full houses. But they'll need to do it cautiously. Now that we're moving to orange, that could change. A red traffic light means stop. - No requirement to scan in or for a business to display a QR code poster or have mandatory record keeping - No requirement to scan in or for a business to display a QR code poster or have mandatory record keeping - No requirement to scan in or for a business to display a QR code poster or have mandatory record keeping Will we really get that under orange? Otago's public health professors, in a blog on Tuesday, called for more reliable surveillance of cases at the border, to help track new variants.

The COVID-19 Response Minister had to backtrack on some of his previous statements.

A decision is expected today on whether any part of the country will drop to the orange traffic light setting in time for Easter.

"There's always a trade-off in terms of the virus. "So we're imagining from our genomic specialist that actually it's that infectious thing that makes it have an advantage. Is it more likely to lead to hospital admission?"

Indoor gathering limits and seating requirements will be removed when the country moves to Orange at 11:59pm tonight. The Orange setting lifts some masking ...

“It will be more difficult to manage potential future outbreaks caused by new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus once in the community setting and especially if resistant to current COVID-19 vaccines. “It’s a good time to be relaxing the traffic light settings when cases and hospitalisations are declining in almost all parts of the country. “It was a bit of a shock to hear some of the journalists struggling to understand the logic behind keeping some requirements for masks when at orange people can also ‘pash on a dance floor’. There is still COVID-19 circulating in the community in New Zealand and many people will be doing their best to avoid catching the virus to protect themselves or their vulnerable friends and family members. “Flexibility and agility will be key for adjusting to this new normal. That means normalising the wearing of masks and bringing in guidance and standards for ventilation to make indoor venues safer.” “The change to Orange under the COVID traffic-light system brings with it an end to the government encouraging people to work from home. Covid-19 isn’t going to go away and we are very likely to have further waves of infection as immunity wanes, people’s behaviour gets back to normal, and new variants arrive. Masks are an important layer of the multi-layered approach to reducing the spread of Covid-19 in schools. “Masks are effective in reducing transmission of Covid-19 and other viruses in indoor settings. “However, it is important to point out that the decline in daily case numbers is not uniformly true across the motu. “We are interested to know how this vaccination inequity has been taken into account in decision-making about the change to levels. This is something that we can continue to do, expressing our tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake, regardless of the Government COVID levels.

Covid-19 restrictions for all of New Zealand will ease from midnight tonight but a leading epidemiologist says the country is divided in its risk.

"It seems likely many people will continue working from home, at least some of the time. This presents a challenge to organisations about how they create psychologically safe teams in a dispersed environment. This should include vaccines, high-quality surveillance systems, a focus on clean air indoors, and financial support for people to isolate when sick." "It is very challenging for schools, it has proven to be one of the most challenging Covid-19 requirements." "It's a good time to be relaxing the traffic light settings when cases and hospitalisations are declining in almost all parts of the country," Te Pūnaha Matatini modeller professor Michael Plank said. "But that's not the situation in the rest of New Zealand and particularly the South Island, even some DHBs in the North Island, like Northland and some of the others in the central North Island, are still seeing case numbers reported yesterday that were about 50 percent of their peak.