Coronavirus: Latest on COVID-19 community outbreak - Friday, October 22

The Government has revealed its new COVID Protection Framework to replace the alert level system.

The new framework includes three traffic lights - Green, Orange and Red - to replace the alert level system introduced in March 2020.

It comes as 129 new community cases were recorded nationally on Friday, with nine being in Waikato.

There is also an additional two cases in Northland - two people who recently travelled from Auckland to Kaikohe. These cases weren't included in Friday's total as they came in after the ministry's daily reporting period.

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What you need to know

The Government has announced a new COVID traffic light system and beefed up financial support
Vaccine certificates will be used under the new traffic light system.
129 cases were reported on Friday, including nine in Waikato
The Ministry of Health has confirmed two cases in Kaikohe, Northland
Hospitalisations have also reached a record high - 51 COVID-positive patients are currently either in a ward or in the ICU
Auckland remains in alert level 3 - Northland moved to alert level 2 at 11:59pm on Tuesday
Restrictions for the areas of Waikato currently under alert level 3 will remain in place until at least next Wednesday
Click here for all the locations of interest.

7:20pm - Speaking to The Project, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it's possible Auckland gets to the 90 percent double dose mark by early December.

About 16,000 people in the region still need to get their first dose to hit that milestone, and if they do in the next two weeks, plus the three weeks in between the two doses, that takes us to late November. Add on another two weeks for them to be fully immunised and we're into December. Modeller Shaun Hendy thinks the date will be around December 10, but reckons we could do it earlier.

Ardern said she wants to see Aucklanders be able to move and reconnect with friends and family during the holiday season.

"We are working on ways that we can safely do that because of course the rest of the country wants to remain COVID free and we want to maintain that for as long as we can," she said.

"I can tell you at this stage that the only plan that we currently have is to allow vaccinated individuals to move at that long border. If you wish to be able to move around, our current plans will require you to be vaccinated."

6:55pm - The Ministry of Health has just released a number of locations of interest, including in Northland and in Waikato.

They include:

FreshChoice Leamington, Cambridge
Countdown Te Awamutu
FreshChoice Te Awamutu
GAS Kaihu
Mobil Kaikohe
Countdown Kaikohe

Find full details here.

5:45pm - The COVID Protection Framework and boosted financial support will ease some of the pain for businesses, including hospitality and tourism operators, business leaders say.

It comes after the Government announced its new COVID Protection Framework on Friday, under which a new 'traffic light system' with green, orange and red settings will replace the current alert level system. It will be deployed based on vaccination rates, for which the Government has set a 90 percent target.

Read more here.

2:26pm - Here's a rundown of vaccination rates by DHB of Residence as at 11.59pm Thursday, October 22.

Coronavirus: Latest on COVID-19 community outbreak - Friday, October 22

2:20pm - Several new locations of interest have been added including Bus 361 from Westfield Manukau City to Otara Library on Monday 18 October between12:30pm - 1:00m.

The new locations include Unichem Medi-Centre Pharmacy in Henderson on Saturday 16 October between 9:30pm - 9:35pm, Warehouse Meats Direct in Otara on Thursday 14 October between 4:00pm - 4:30pm and Countdown Westfield in Manukau City on Tuesday 19 October between 9:00am - 9:15am.

2:13pm - There have been a total of 33 people taken into custody charged with a total of 35 offences in Tāmaki Makaurau, Northland, and parts of the Waikato since alert level 3 restrictions were, police say.

Of these, 23 were for failing to comply with order (COVID-19), nine were for failure to comply with direction/prohibition/restriction, two were for assaults/threatens/hinders/obstructs enforcement officer and one was a Health Act breach.

In the same time period, 30 people were formally warned.

Police have received a total of 5332 105-online breach notifications relating to businesses, mass gatherings or people in Tāmaki Makaurau, Northland, and parts of the Waikato.

In the rest of the country 50 people have been charged with a total of 55 offences.

Of these, 43 are for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19), three for Failure to Comply with Direction/Prohibition/Restriction, three for Failing to Stop (COVID-related), and one is for Assaults/Threatens/Hinders/Obstructs Enforcement Officer.

In the same time period, 22 people have been warned – 12 for Failure to Comply with Direction/Prohibition/Restriction and eight for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19).

One person has received a youth referral for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19).

To date, Police have received a total of 2310 105-online breach notifications relating to businesses, mass gatherings or people in Alert Level 2.

Checkpoint figures:

As of 11.59pm yesterday, a total of 825,756 vehicles have now been stopped at the checkpoints on Auckland’s northern and southern boundaries, with a total of 10,142 vehicles having been turned around.

25,874 vehicles were processed at the checkpoints yesterday with 162 of those vehicles being turned around.

A total of 51 out of 5212 vehicles were turned away at the Northern checkpoints yesterday, while 111 vehicles out of 20,662 were turned around at the Southern checkpoints.

As at 11.59pm last night, 51,309 heavy vehicles have been stopped and 1313 of them have been turned around attempting to leave Tāmaki Makaurau, with 24 of those turned around yesterday.

2:08pm - Vaccination certificates will play a key part in New Zealand's new traffic light system.

Here's everything you need to know about them.

1:53pm - Public Health Physician and Senior Lecturer in Māori Health at the University of Auckland Dr Rhys Jones says the decision not to include a threshold for Māori vaccinations in the criteria for easing restrictions is unethical.

"It is extremely disappointing that the threshold used to determine easing of restrictions is based on total population vaccine coverage and doesn’t include a requirement for a certain level of coverage among Māori and Pacific communities. This flies in the face of Minister Andrew Little's assurance, reported this morning, that COVID-19 restrictions would continue until all groups reach 90 per cent vaccination rates.

"Essentially the Government has rolled out a vaccine programme that systematically privileged non-Māori, non-Pacific populations, and then used vaccine coverage predominantly among those populations as the basis for easing restrictions. Not only have Māori in particular been neglected in the vaccine rollout, our communities may now be exposed to extremely high risk due to the failures in that rollout.

"I believe it is unethical to significantly ease restrictions any further while vaccine coverage for Māori and Pacific remains dangerously low. Māori and Pacific populations are at much higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 than other ethnic groups, so it is essential that we get vaccine rates up as high as possible, Dr Jones says.

1:39pm - Epidemiologist Michael Baker says it's good to see a strong emphasis on vaccination in the new traffic light system.

"We won't see things change until we get the population up to 90 percent vaccination at each District Health Board."

Baker said having unvaccinated people mostly barred from gatherings and everyday life under the Red and Orange settings is also a good move.

"It sends a very clear signal to everyone, to our communities, individuals and businesses that [vaccination] is really critical."

He said the economic package and push to raise Maori vaccination rates are also good steps.

But he said getting every DHB to 90 percent will "take a few weeks".

And Baker wasn't a fan of everything. He isn't a supporter of moving away from the alert level system because he says it could have done everything the traffic light does and is already well understood.

"I think we could have used the alert level system and also I think we do need to maintain this higher level of control if it's needed in an emergency."

"I think we could have done better by sticking with what we had and fine tuning."

1:25pm - 86 percent of eligible people have now had their first dose of the vaccine and 69 percent have had their second.

1:22pm - A third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that has been recommended for severely immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and older is now available to be accessed, says National Director COVID-19 Vaccination and Immunisation Programme Jo Gibbs.

"Individuals who are severely immunocompromised are at a higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 and might not produce a sufficiently strong immune response after two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. A third primary dose may be beneficial and can be administered at least eight weeks after the second dose," says Gibbs.

"The eligibility criteria to access a third primary dose is complex and applies to only the group of people who are severely immunocompromised.

"Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria will need to be prescribed a third dose by their GP or other specialist and present the script when accessing the third primary dose."

Gibbs says the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group (CV-TAG) carefully considered a number of studies in order to make this recommendation for this group. The Ministry of Health has published the eligibility requirements that must be met to qualify for a third primary dose.

"Providing an optional third primary dose to individuals with severe immunosuppression will help protect our most vulnerable against severe disease and hospitalisation if they were to contract COVID-19.

"Everyone aged 12 and older who is a household or close contact of someone who is immunocompromised is strongly encouraged to receive two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This will help provide indirect protection to the most vulnerable people in our communities."

A third primary dose is different to a booster dose for the general population. Booster vaccines for the general population are not yet available under the current immunisation programme.

Details of access to a third dose for this group of individuals is now available on the Ministry of Health website.

1:18pm - The Ministry of Health says testing in Auckland is now focused on areas with higher positivity rates and where the risk of unidentified cases is higher.

One suburb of interest with a high positivity rate of more than 7 percent is Redvale, on the North Shore. At this stage, no recorded cases in Redvale have been linked to last weekend's infamous party.

The Ministry is asking Redvale residents with symptoms, no matter how mild, to get tested as soon as possible, even if they are vaccinated. Testing is also encouraged in New Lynn and the North Shore suburbs of Rosedale and Bayswater.

Testing is available at:

Eventfinda Stadium, 17 Silverfield, Wairau Valley - open 8.30am to 4.30pm
North Harbour Stadium, Oteha Valley Road in Carpark B – open 8.30am – 4.30pm
Northcote Community Testing Centre, Corner of College Road and Kilham Avenue – open 6.30am – 6.30pm
Health New Lynn, Totara Health Services, McCrae Way, New Lynn – open 8.30am – 4.30pm

Testing is also available at GP and Urgent Care clinics.

Everyone in Auckland should get a test if they have any symptoms – even those who are fully vaccinated or with very mild symptoms should get tested and isolate at home while waiting for test results.

1:16pm - All of Waikato's new cases have been linked to existing cases.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the region, associated with this outbreak, to 73. At this time, there are four cases in Waikato that are deemed unlinked, with investigations continuing to help determine their connection to the outbreak.

Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out testing throughout the region, to help determine any undetected community spread of COVID-19.

Anyone in Waikato - in particular, people in Te Awamutu - is urged to get tested if they have symptoms.

Testing locations in and around Waikato are available on the Healthpoint website and the Waikato DHB website, with testing available throughout Labour Weekend.

Yesterday there were 4476 swabs taken across the region. Vaccination rates in Waikato also remained steady yesterday with 3406 people receiving a dose – of these vaccinations, 1040 were first doses, and a further 2366 were second doses.

1:13pm - Public health officials in the Waikato are continuing to investigate a local case who travelled to Hawke’s Bay before returning a positive COVID-19 result.

One location of interest, Kmart Napier, has been identified and anyone there between 3:53pm – 5:13 pm on Friday, October 15 is asked to monitor their symptoms for 14 days and if any develop, get tested and stay at home until a negative test result is received and they have been symptom-free for 24 hours.

No further locations of interest in Hawke’s Bay have been identified but locals are asked to please keep checking the Ministry of Health’s website.

There have been no positive detections for COVID-19 in the most recent wastewater samples collected from Hastings (October 19 and 20), Napier (October 18 and 20), and Wairoa (October 15 and 19). Further samples from these sites will be collected next week.

1:11pm - There are 51 people in the hospital and five in the ICU. Eight people are in North Shore Hospital, 18 are in Middlemore, 24 are in Auckland Hospital and one is in Waikato.

1:08pm - There are 129 new community cases today; 120 are in Auckland and nine are in the Waikato. As at 9am today, 64 of these cases are linked, of whom 25 are household contacts, and 65 remain unlinked with investigations continuing to help determine their connection to the current outbreak. 

12:48pm - Here's all the details about the new financial support.

12:35pm - A case number update is expected at 1pm.

12:31pm - Professor Michael Plank from the University of Canterbury is welcoming the Government's new system.

"It is good to see the government committing to getting 90 percent of people fully vaccinated in every DHB. If we reach this target, it will make New Zealand one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world and put us in a strong position to manage the impacts of having COVID-19 in the community.

"It is welcome news that more resources are being targeted towards lifting Māori vaccination rates. There is much more work to be done here and we should be aiming to get 90 per cent of Māori fully vaccinated as well.

"The traffic light system announced today makes it clear that businesses should prepare to use vaccine certificates if they want to operate with minimal restrictions. This will hopefully create a strong incentive for people to be vaccinated if they want to enjoy freedoms like going to restaurants, bars, gyms, gatherings. No jab, no fun. This approach is justified because unvaccinated people going to these busy locations would put other people’s health at risk."

But Plank warned the Red setting may not be enough to control a large outbreak.

"So, we should keep some of the stricter measures like business closures or localised lockdowns, and appropriate economic support packages alongside them, in the toolbox in case they are needed.

"For now, the alert level system remains in place and it’s essential everyone sticks to the rules. Keeping cases as low as possible until we reach the 90 percent target will keep pressure of our hospitals and make it easier to gradually ease restrictions as we progress towards the target."

12:24pm - Two Auckland supermarkets have been added to the location of interest list.

Supa Save Supermarket in Otara on Monday, October 18 between 1:00pm to 1:15pm and PAK'nSAVE in Glen Innes on Saturday, October 16 between 11:45am and 1:00pm and Sunday 17 between 6:00pm to 7:15pm.

11:43am - Collins says she is shocked and heartbroken by the Government's announcement.

She says she's given up listening to or believing the Prime Minister.

11:39am - Collins says there is no hope for Aucklanders out of this announcement.

11:38am - National leader Judith Collins says Aucklanders are in "despair" and see no way out of "the prison Auckland has become until most likely mid-December".

Collins says the Government's announcement was dismaying, complicating, and confusing.

"Today I speak on behalf of many New Zealanders who have contacted me about what they're feeling and seeing and they want me to speak out. And they are saying, 'Enough. Enough of this confusion, enough of playing mind games with people, enough of not delivering on their problems and enough of expecting other New Zealanders to carry that can for them."

11:29am- Mayor Phil Goff is also welcoming the new system.

"The new framework sets a clear goal for us to get 90 percent of Aucklanders double vaccinated and it contains powerful incentives for people to get vaccinated if they want to enjoy the freedoms that others are enjoying.

"It reduces the reliance on lockdowns, which have damaging effects on our economy and restrict the way in which we want to live.

"All of us would like to have absolute certainty around the timeframe for getting back to normality. However, our progress will rely on getting people vaccinated so the transition happens safely and some flexibility is needed to ensure that is the case.

"Vaccination is the key to us being able to enjoy enhanced freedoms and being able to enjoy our summer together," Mayor Goff says.

11:23am - The Restaurants Association of New Zealand is welcoming the new traffic light system.

"A reopening framework coupled with clear targets and supported with the appropriate financial assistance is exactly what is needed to move forward and get our largest city moving again," said CEO Marisa Bidois.

"Hospitality, particularly in Auckland has been one of the most heavily impacted as a result of this long lockdown. The predicament we have found ourselves in, alongside many other businesses is a lack of certainty, a lack of targeted financial assistance and a lack of clarity on our framework for reopening.

"This new framework allows our businesses to start planning with some certainty. The increased resurgence support payments alongside the transition grant is exactly the type of financial assistance we called for in our 8 point reopening plan for the industry so it’s good to see the Government is listening.

"There will no doubt be some finer points of the framework to go through to understand their practical application and we look forward to doing that with Government in the days and weeks ahead.

"But the good news is that our business owners can now start planning in earnest and Aucklanders who have rolled up their sleeves and got vaccinated can look forward to dining out again soon."

11:06am - In the future there will no longer be borders around cities like Auckland currently has.

11:05am - Ardern says churches will also need to use vaccine certificates in order to have large gatherings. If they don't want to use them, gathering limits will be required.

11:03am - Henare says the only way Māori won't become collateral damage when the new system is introduced is for them to get vaccinated.

11:01am - The Green Party says the Government's plan to move to a new COVID-19 response strategy is rushed and risky, and will leave some people at risk.

"Many people around New Zealand looking at the Government's plan today will be wondering what it means for their lives and livelihoods," says Green spokesperson for the COVID-19 Response Julie Anne Genter.

"The Government is unfortunately planning to move to a new COVID-19 response strategy before New Zealand is ready. The proposed vaccination targets are insufficient to protect the most vulnerable, and risk opening up before everyone is safe on an equal basis.

"While we welcome today's announcement on hardship assistance, the Government still needs to do more, especially for those not in work.

"There still isn't enough support for helping low income households to meet their living costs, especially those dealing with high and increasing cost of rent and other living expenses.

"At the very least the Government needs to reintroduce the support that was put in place last year for low-income people, including rent freezes, better access for hardship grants for beneficiaries, and increases to benefits.

"Had the Government done this today it would have been able to say to all New Zealanders that they would be supported to stay healthy, provide for their families, and meet rising living costs.

10:55am - The current phased steps will continue to be used in Auckland until the city moves to the new traffic light system.

10:53am - Ardern said a simple way of looking at new rules if you want to go to gatherings, bars, hairdressers or any other non essential public venue, get vaccinated.

10:50am - ACT is criticising the Government's new traffic light system saying it has abandoned overseas Kiwis.

"Jacinda Ardern talks about the 'team of five million." We are actually a team of six million. There are a million Kiwis offshore who still call New Zealand home who have no pathway to coming back," says ACT Leader David Seymour.

"People want to come for many reasons. Family reunions, deaths of loved ones, the arrival of new babies, to fill jobs, and just being with family and friends. New Zealand is their home, keeping them locked out and fighting over a tiny number of MIQ spaces is cruel.

"There was no mention of MIQ or self-isolation today. We cannot go on like this and we can't keep ignoring a million New Zealanders.

"ACT would allow fully vaccinated people who have tested negative to self-isolate. There are currently more than 80 people in Auckland who have COVID-19 who are isolating at home. If it's good enough for COVID positive people, it should be good enough for low-risk people who just want to come home."

10:44am - Under the new traffic light system there will no longer be nationwide lockdowns as we know them but localised lockdowns are possible, Ardern said.

10:38am - when asked about what the new system means for mortality rates, Ardern says, "it means get vaccinated". She says vaccinated people need to be given some freedoms.

10:36am - Vaccine certificates won't be needed to access essential services such as food and medicine.

10:35am - Ardern says the vaccine certificate is opt-in for businesses but those that choose to use them will get to operate at every level, with some restrictions in Red. Businesses that don't will have to deal with increased public health measures.

10:32am - Click here to find out everything you need to know about today's announcement.

10:31am - Ardern is urging anyone who isn't vaccinated to get the vaccine. She says unvaccinated people will not be able to enjoy daily life.

10:30am - Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni says income limits for Hardship Support through the Ministry of Social Development have been temporarily lifted so more people can receive assistance.

"Cabinet has agreed to make it easier for low income workers to receive assistance for items such as food and other emergency costs," Sepuloni said.

"We know the extended COVID-19 restrictions are having an impact on low income households who tend to have less certainty of work. Currently a single person working 30 hours per week on the minimum wage is not eligible for hardship assistance from Work and Income. We're lifting the income limits for assistance to 40 hours at the minimum wage, or $800 per week and $1600 per week for a couple with or without children.

"Expanding the income limits for Hardship Support will mean more low income individuals and families will be able to get support.

"The temporary income eligibility criteria will come into force from 1 November for four months. 28 February 2022 will be the last day the increased limits will apply.

"To ensure people who are not currently accessing support from MSD are aware of the availability of hardship assistance to meet immediate and essential needs, MSD will run a comprehensive communications campaign.

"This is an investment of $9.6 million into low income workers. We expect there to be up to 25,000 more grants made by MSD to people not currently receiving help from MSD, for needs such as food, clothing and additional costs for electricity.

"We are continuing to monitor need in the community and will respond quickly where it arises," Sepuloni said.

10:27am - Henare says the Government has established a $120 million fund to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the implementation of the new COVID-19 Protection Framework.

The new Māori Communities COVID-19 Fund will directly fund Māori, Iwi, community organisations and providers to deliver local vaccination initiatives for whānau, and support Māori and communities to prepare for the new protection framework.

The fund will assist in reaching Māori not yet vaccinated including rangatahi, whānau without permanent housing, whānau in rural and remote locations, and whānau not well connected to health services. Local Iwi, Māori organisations and providers are best placed to reach and support these groups.

$60 million will go towards accelerating Māori vaccination rates and a further $60 million will support Māori and iwi-led initiatives to protect their communities against COVID-19.

"While more Māori have been vaccinated in recent weeks, Māori are still lagging behind most New Zealanders, particularly in the younger age groups," Associate Minister for Health (Maori Health) Peeni Henare said.

"We need to pull out all the stops to ensure whānau are protected when the new protection framework is put in place. We know the recent lift in vaccination rates is the direct result of funding Māori providers and of Māori leadership efforts at a regional and national level. We need this to continue.

"From hāngi and vouchers, walk-in clinics and vax buses, partnerships with iwi, local communities and businesses, communities going door-to-door, vaccinations on sports fields and at kura and many more initiatives - we've seen what works and this fund will support more of it," Peeni Henare said.

Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis said we have heard calls from across Māori society that they need extra support to help get to their people. This funding provides us an opportunity to partner with and support iwi and Māori as we continue through our COVID-19 recovery.

"Te Arawhiti has been working with iwi throughout our COVID-19 response and this direct funding continues to build the Māori-Crown partnership," Kelvin Davis said.

Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson said Māori providers, iwi groups and key Māori organisations have deep connections and networks in their communities and can reach whānau that other government response efforts cannot reach.

"I'm proud of Te Puni Kōkiri's work with Māori providers, for a by Māori for Māori solution and today's announcement continues the commitment of helping whānau Māori who have been affected by Covid-19," Willie Jackson said.

"Ministers have met regularly with Māori leaders. We are unanimous in our view that we need to inject further resources into local Māori-focused initiatives so we can support providers and communities to keep the vaccination momentum going - and we need to do that rapidly.

"It's important we also support these communities to lead and implement measures to prot

10:27am - Henare says the Government has established a $120 million fund to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the implementation of the new COVID-19 Protection Framework.

$60 million will go towards accelerating Māori vaccination rates and a further $60 million will support Māori and iwi-led initiatives to protect their communities against COVID-19.

"Te Arawhiti has been working with iwi throughout our COVID-19 response and this direct funding continues to build the Māori-Crown partnership," Kelvin Davis said.

"It's important we also support these communities to lead and implement measures to protect and prepare whānau as we move into the next phase of our response to COVID-19. We cannot afford not to invest in this," Willie Jackson said.

10:26am - Minister Peeni Henare is announcing new measures to lift vaccination rates.

10:20am - Here are the full details of the new support.

RSP rate doubled and paid fortnightly, up to $43,000 per business
Wage subsidy will continue through the transition period
Cost of new RSP and wage subsidy is up to $940 million per fortnight
$60 million package for Regional Business Partner Programme and mental health support

The Government will boost payments to businesses affected by higher alert levels as the country transitions to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework.

"While the ongoing restrictions in Auckland are keeping people safe, we also know they have made life very tough for businesses in the region. In recognition of that Ministers have agreed to significantly boost the Resurgence Support Payment," Grant Robertson said.

"After the next scheduled payment on 29 October we will move to fortnightly payments at double the current rate. The enhanced support will first be paid on 12 November and fortnightly thereafter until Auckland is able to move into the new framework."

Currently the RSP is paid at a base rate of $1500 per eligible business and $400 for each full-time employee up to a total of $21,500.

For the payments starting on 12 November this will be $3000 per business and $800 per FTE, up to 50 FTEs. This will make the maximum fortnightly payment $43,000.

The estimated cost of providing both the weekly RSP and the wage subsidy is up to $940 million per fortnight through this transitional period.

"In effect this means the RSP will be a weekly rather than three weekly payment as it is now, but for ease of application and administration it will be available in fortnightly instalments. We are not changing any settings at this time so payments can be made without disruption.

"The enhanced RSP will be available until Auckland moves into the new framework. The Wage Subsidy will continue to be available on the current criteria while areas of the country are still in Alert Level 3.

"Final details of the support to be provided under the new framework will be agreed in November. My expectation is that because businesses will be able to operate at all levels of the framework, the wage subsidy and the RSP will be reworked to a new targeted payment at the RED level of the new framework," Grant Robertson said.

Ministers have agreed in principle that there will be a transition payment made available to support businesses when they move into the new framework.

In addition Ministers have agreed a $60 million package for business advice and mental health support will be made available to help Auckland businesses through this transition period.

Businesses will be able to apply for up to $3000 worth of advice and planning support, and then receive up to $4,000 to implement that advice through the established Regional Business Partners programme.

As part of the package, $10 million is available for mental health and wellbeing support through a programme to be designed with the EMA and Auckland Business Chamber of Commerce.

Small Business Minister Stuart Nash said the measures are designed to support Auckland businesses to deal with the uncertainties caused by the Delta outbreak.

"This will help build more resilient businesses, improve the ability to operate when COVID-19 restrictions are in place and position businesses better to seize future opportunities.

"The Regional Business Partners programme is a proven network of experienced advisors who can recommend tailored solutions to the issues faced by business owners.

"This will make a real difference in difficult times and ease some of the financial and wellbeing stresses faced by Auckland businesses under lockdown," Stuart Nash said

10:19am - Grant Robertson has revealed the Resurgence Support Payment will move to fortnightly doubled payments after October 29.

10:15am - Auckland to move into Red setting in new framework once the city reaches 90 percent double doses.

The rest of the country will move to Orange once every DHB reaches 90 percent.

10:13am - The new traffic light framework will allow businesses previously considered high-risk to fully open to vaccinated customers at green and orange and continue to operate with some restrictions at red. Businesses that choose to open to the unvaccinated will face restrictions in order to suppress the virus amongst those most likely to have it.

Fully vaccinated people will be able to reconnect with family and friends, go to bars and restaurants.

10:12am - "The simplified framework has three levels: green, orange and red. Vaccine certificates will provide greater freedoms at each level, and there will be extra public health precautions built-in at higher levels to minimise the impact of COVID-19 and suppress the spread of the virus," Ardern said.

10:09am -The new traffic light system has three phases. Red, orange and green. The red setting is when the virus is out of control, gathering limit and physical distancing, masks are required.
Vaccine certificates will also be used during the new system for things like gatherings, hospitality, etc.

10:07am - DHBs have been given a vaccine target of 90 percent, Ardern said. When every DHB reaches 90 percent NZ will move into the new framework.

10:06am - New Zealand is moving from elimination to minimisation, she said. But COVID won't be treated like a seasonal illness.

10:06am - Ardern says now instead of staying home to save lives, Kiwis need to get vaccinated to save lives.

10:04am - Ardern said while our focus on elimination kept us COVID free for a long time and saved lives, Delta has changed the game.

"Its tentacles have reached into our communities and made it hard to shake."

10:03am - Jacinda Ardern says the plan she's unveiling today will help protect people while allowing them to get back to everyday life.

9:45am - Police have today arrested a 28-year-old man in relation to the infamous North Shore party.

The man is alleged to have held a gathering at a Redvale property over the weekend in breach of COVID-19 restrictions.

He has been charged with Failing to Comply with the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Alert Level Requirements) Order (No 12) 2021, and is scheduled to appear in North Shore District Court on October 22.

Police said they will not tolerate this type of breach of alert level restrictions and would like to thank those members of the public who reported the matter to us.

Enquiries into this matter are ongoing and Police are not ruling out enforcement action against other individuals.

9:30am - National's Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti says information revealed through parliamentary questions shows high ICU occupancy rates in DHBs even before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.

"The new location of interest announced in the Hawkes Bay is particularly alarming given that DHB has the highest ICU occupancy rate, with full capacity 36 per cent of the time over the current outbreak, followed by Wairarapa and Lakes DHBs," Dr Reti says.

"Capacity and occupancy rates also need to be monitored in DHBs with high Māori populations like Northland, Lakes, Tairāwhiti and Whanganui.

"The Minister keeps repeating that there are 340 standing beds, but intensivist Dr Paul Young at Capital & Coast DHB has suggested the Minister is dreaming, and the Australia and New Zealand Society of Intensive Care says there are only 186.

"Nurses are saying they are overwhelmed. Everyone agrees that no new beds have been added in the past year, and no one is buying the fudging of surge beds to make the number look bigger.

"The Minister’s plan should have included having more standing ICU beds so as to not rely as heavily on surge capacity and lockdowns."

9:23am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is unveiling the Government's new COVID Protection Framework at 10am, which is expected to replace the alert level system, taking vaccination rates into consideration.

The new COVID Protection Framework is expected to give Aucklanders some certainty about when their city's lockdown restrictions could ease, based on vaccination rates.

Nearly 90 percent of eligible Aucklanders have had one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, compared to 74 percent who are fully vaccinated. As for the rest of New Zealand, 68.2 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson is also unveiling additional financial support for businesses, after Auckland's more than two months in lockdown - nine weeks of closed shops, bars and restaurants.

Ardern and Robertson will be joined by COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Health Minister for Māori Peeni Henare.

You can watch the livestream on Newshub.co.nz.

8:30am - Hannah Tamaki has admitted to getting rental income from a COVID-19 testing station set up in the Destiny Church car park.

Tamaki has been in the news recently after her husband, Destiny Church leader Brian, was summoned to the Auckland Central police station following a gathering of about 2000 people at the Auckland Domain on Saturday. The protest was the second of its kind this month.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB on Friday, Tamaki said they are anti-lockdown, but not anti-vax. She would not say if the couple had been vaccinated, saying it was invasive to ask about one's medical history.

Read the full story here.

8:10am - Young Māori people have the lowest rate of vaccination in the country. Only 54 percent of Māori aged between 20 to 29 have had their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Read more here.

7:34am - Nurses doubt that community health providers are the answer to keeping COVID-19 cases out of hospital.

Kerri Nuku from the Nurses Organisation says exhaustion will spread across the board.

Nuku says the vaccine roll-out needed to be more equitable from the beginning.

7:16am - India celebrated the milestone of administering a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses on Thursday, with the government promoting the achievement in song and video even as a recent drop in inoculations worries healthcare providers.

India has so far reported 34.1 million COVID-19 cases and more than 452,000 deaths, most during a second wave of infections of the Delta variant between April and May.

As of Thursday morning, there have been 243 million cases of COVID-19 confirmed globally with 4.9 million deaths.

Click here for the latest from around the world.

- Reuters

6:58am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be revealing Auckland's pathway out of lockdown at 10am. Ardern will provide details of the new traffic light system New Zealand will use to get back to some form of normal life.

6:50am - A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE restored efficacy to 95.6 percent against the virus, including the Delta variant, data released by the companies from a large study showed on Thursday.

The companies said the trial, which has not been peer-reviewed, tested 10,000 participants aged 16 and older, and found that the booster shot had a favourable safety profile.

The trial results come a day after the US Food and Drug Administration authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson, and said Americans could choose a different shot from their original inoculation as a booster.

The agency previously authorized boosters of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot at least six months after the first round of shots to increase protection for people aged 65 and older, those at risk of severe disease and those who are exposed to the virus through their work.

Read the full story here.

- Reuters

6:39am - Russia has reported "isolated cases" of COVID-19 with a subvariant of the Delta variant that is believed to be even more contagious, the state consumer watchdog's senior researcher said on Thursday.

The researcher, Kamil Khafizov, said the AY.4.2 subvariant may be around 10 percent more infectious than the original Delta - which has driven new cases and deaths to a series of record daily highs in Russia - and could ultimately replace it.

However, he said this was likely to be a slow process.

"The vaccines are effective enough against this version of the virus, which is not so different as to dramatically change the ability to bind to antibodies," he said.

Read the full story here.

- Reuters