Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a number of changes to New Zealand's COVID-19 settings at a press conference on Wednesday.
That includes an end to outdoor gathering limits, QR codes and vaccine passes. Vaccine mandates will no longer apply to police, education, defence and businesses that currently use vaccine passes. Indoor gatherings will be expanded to a maximum of 200 people.
What you need to know about the COVID-19 outbreak:
- There were 20,087 new community COVID cases recorded on Wednesday
- There have been 11 deaths of people with COVID-19
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (727), Auckland (4,122), Waikato (1,726), Bay of Plenty (1,290), Lakes (505), Hawke’s Bay (1,064), MidCentral (919), Whanganui (388), Taranaki (679), Tairāwhiti (339), Wairarapa (276), Capital and Coast (1,259), Hutt Valley (720), Nelson Marlborough (584), Canterbury (3,468), South Canterbury (319), Southern (1,631), West Coast (56); Unknown (15)
- There are 960 people in hospital, including 31 in ICU
- The average age of current hospitalisations: 59
- Locations of hospitalisations: Northland: 23; North Shore: 158; Middlemore: 217; Auckland: 201 ; Waikato: 85; Bay of Plenty: 38; Lakes: 12; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 39; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 6; MidCentral: 21; Hutt Valley: 15; Capital and Coast: 40; Wairarapa: 5; Nelson Marlborough: 12; Canterbury: 51; South Canterbury: 3; Southern: 19
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (96 cases / 17%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (21 cases / 4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (204 cases / 37%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (210 cases / 38%); unknown (22 cases / 4%)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 43
1:50pm - Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles from the University of Auckland is "relieved" that not all COVID protections have been dropped.
"The data from overseas is really clear - those countries that have dropped restrictions as their omicron wave was subsiding are now experiencing another wave. For that reason, I am relieved to see masks stay, and added to the orange setting of the traffic light.
"But, I am disappointed with parts of the announcement today. There was a lot of talk of things being safer now Auckland is coming out of this omicron peak, but safer for who? Certainly not everybody. We know that being boosted helps reduce transmission of this virus so upgrading vaccine passes to include the booster would have helped keep indoor environments safer for the more at-risk members of our community. Similarly, removing vaccine mandates for people working with our children who can't yet be vaccinated makes me very nervous. The vaccines are safe and effective and being boosted helps protect those around us who can't be vaccinated.
"I would also have preferred to see QR code scanning kept. It would have been much easier just to keep up the habit than rely on people picking it up again in the future.
"With Covid here to stay globally, and the next wave potentially just weeks or months away, I would have liked to have seen talk of the changes we need to be making to our indoor environments to make them safer for everyone against what is a deadly airborne virus. This variant may appear milder because of the protection of our vaccines and improvements in treatments, but there is no guarantee the next variant will be the same."
1:35pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is standing by vaccine mandates after making a host of changes to New Zealand's COVID-19 measures including removing vaccines passes and most mandates.
The Prime Minister said the changes were possible because we are coming out of the Omicron outbreak's peak.
"The evidence shows we are coming off the Omicron peak with cases in Auckland having already declined significantly, and a decline expected nationally by early April," Ardern said.
1:30pm - Business Events Industry Aotearoa says the decisions to end vaccine mandates and increase indoor gathering limits is a step forward.
Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), Chief Executive Lisa Hopkins says the reduction of restrictions is a further move in the right direction for the sector's recovery after border reopening was announced last week.
"This positive news from the Prime Minister will start to bring back vital confidence and clarity for event decision-makers. We look forward to the next review of the Covid Protection Framework settings on 4 April.
"Our sector hasn't been able to work effectively since last August when traffic light settings of the Covid Protection Framework were set at Red and gathering numbers restricted to 100. Confidence has been at an all-time low," she says.
Speaking from Melbourne today, where she is attending the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) 2022, Hopkins says up to 100 multi-day international conferences and events are waiting to confirm bookings for New Zealand.
"New Zealand has world-class venue infrastructure ready, with Te Pae Christchurch now open, Tākina Wellington for next year, and the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland to follow.
"We are seeing a lot of interest and excitement here today. Event organisers in Australia are telling us they want to bring their client business back to New Zealand. The positive messages from the Prime Minister today will now drive a sense of surety as we work towards fewer restrictions," Hopkins says.
1:20pm - Dr Andrew Chen, a research fellow at Koi Tū – Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland, has responded to the Government's decision to move on from QR code scanning.
"Over the last month, we have seen the use of NZ COVID Tracer shift from scanning QR codes to using Bluetooth Tracing. Location-based exposure notifications are driven by the locations of interest system - as locations of interest were no longer published when we entered phase three of the omicron response plan, exposure notifications based on QR code scans have not been generated. We have seen a corresponding drop in daily QR code scans at a rate of 20-30 per cent per week over the last month, now down to under one million per day.
"However, Bluetooth Tracing is now more automated, as positive cases are given a code to upload their data through the self-reporting form that they complete after reporting a positive test result. The latest Ministry of Health data shows that there are hundreds of cases providing Bluetooth data each day (almost 1000 per day in the last week), and that there are thousands of devices generating exposure notifications (approximately 3000-4000 in the last week). This tool is providing value in our response and gives individuals further information with which they can make their own risk assessment decisions. There are still 2.35 million devices with Bluetooth Tracing active, which (assuming that each device corresponds to one person) corresponds to almost 60 per cent of the adult population in New Zealand - one of the highest rates of participation in digital contact tracing in the world. It is important that people who test positive complete the self-reporting form to the best of their ability, and provide the data they can to support our response. At the moment we are seeing around 3-15 per cent of positive cases each day providing Bluetooth data.
"While it is understandable that the government has removed the requirement to scan or keep records when people enter venues, it is a little disappointing that the requirement for businesses to display a QR code or provide a mechanism for recordkeeping will be removed from 11:59pm on Monday, 4 April. The compliance cost of having QR code posters printed out is not that high, and I believe it is important for individuals to continue to have the option to scan the QR code if they want to. The Prime Minister indicated that if there was a new variant or a different type of outbreak that they may call for people to scan QR codes again - leaving the infrastructure in place, including having QR codes available for scanning, is critical to supporting a fast response.
"On vaccine passes, the government's decision to remove the requirement as part of the Covid-19 Protection Framework makes sense given the current evidence. It has been shown internationally that vaccine passes or equivalent certificates are effective at incentivising vaccination uptake, but do not have as much impact on reducing transmission in access-restricted venues. While separating unvaccinated and vaccinated people in venues may make logical sense to many people, the international evidence suggests that the impact is minimal. With a very highly vaccinated population, the reason to keep using vaccine passes has faded away.
"However, keeping the vaccine pass infrastructure to allow businesses and organisations to voluntarily use vaccine passes makes sense. It is important that those businesses and organisations, however, understand that they are making their own decision to continue using this tool, and cannot rely on government regulation as the reason for using these passes. I am a little worried about customers or members of those organisations being angry at those that continue to use and require vaccine passes, and it is important that we all respect the choice to continue using passes. This does mean that people should continue to keep a copy of their vaccine pass in case they are asked for one by a particular business or organisation.
"For many people their vaccine passes will expire in the next two months as they reach six months from when the passes were originally issued. The system currently sets all vaccine passes to expire by 1 June, and so there may still be changes to how vaccine passes are defined, including whether or not a third booster shot is required in order to receive a vaccine pass. We expect further announcements on vaccine pass validity in the next month or so."
1:10pm - Here's the full data from the Ministry of Health:
Vaccinations administered in New Zealand
- Vaccines administered to date: 4,024,862 first doses; 3,972,660 second doses; 34,199 third primary doses; 2,560,822 booster doses: 257,404 paediatric first doses and 48,185 paediatric second doses
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 194 first doses; 388 second doses; 29 third primary doses; 3,972 booster doses; 208 paediatric first doses and 4,028 paediatric second doses
People vaccinated
- All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,054,234 first dose (96.3%); 4,001,315 second dose (95.1%), 2,559,899 boosted (72.8% of those eligible)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 520,082 first dose (91.1%); 502,210 second dose (87.9%), 226,360 boosted (58.5% of those eligible)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,353 first dose (98.1%); 276,126 second dose (96.3%), 134,812 boosted (59.4% of those eligible)
- 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 256,308 first dose (53.8%); 47,150 second dose (9.9%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Māori: 40,034 first dose (34.6%); 5,390 second dose (4.7%)
- 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,134 first dose (46.8%); 2,497 second dose (5.1%)
Note that the number for “People vaccinated” differs slightly from “Vaccines administered” as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas.
You’ll note in the figures today there has been a negative movement in the booster uptake for both Maori and Pacific populations. This is as a result of more people becoming eligible to receive a booster.
Vaccination rates for all DHBs*
- Northland DHB: first dose (90.1%); second dose (87.9%); boosted (69.6%)
- Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (71%)
- Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (68.4%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95%); second dose (93.2%); boosted (68.5%)
- Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (68.9%)
- MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.1%); boosted (74.4%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.3%)
- Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.3%); boosted (73.9%)
- Hawke’s Bay DHB: first dose (97%); second dose (95.3%); boosted (72.4%)
- Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.1%); boosted (70.2%)
- Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (94.9%); boosted (75%)
- Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (81.2%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (77.1%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (75.9%)
- West Coast DHB: first dose (92.6%); second dose (91%); boosted (73.8%)
- Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.6%); second dose (98.7%); boosted (75.8%)
- South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.9%); second dose (93.8%); boosted (76.6%)
- Southern DHB: first dose (98.1%); second dose (96.9%); boosted (75%)
*Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose
Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data - a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%.
Hospitalisations*
- Cases in hospital: total number 960: Northland: 23; North Shore: 158; Middlemore: 217; Auckland: 201 ; Waikato: 85; Bay of Plenty: 38; Lakes: 12; Tairāwhiti: 4, Hawke’s Bay: 39; Taranaki: 11; Whanganui: 6; MidCentral: 21; Hutt Valley: 15; Capital and Coast: 40; Wairarapa: 5; Nelson Marlborough: 12; Canterbury: 51; South Canterbury: 3; Southern: 19
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 59
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 31
- · Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (96 cases / 17%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (21 cases / 4%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (204 cases / 37%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (210 cases / 38%); unknown (22 cases / 4%)
*The figures show that almost 4% of people aged 12 and over in the Northern Region have had no doses of the vaccine, while of those aged 12 and over in Northland and Auckland hospitals with COVID-19 for whom we have vaccination status recorded, 15% have had no doses of the vaccine and are more than three times over-represented in our hospitalisation figures.
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 17,111
- Number of new community cases: 20,087
- Number of new community cases (PCR): 438
- Number of new community cases (RAT): 19,649
- Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (727), Auckland (4,122), Waikato (1,726), Bay of Plenty (1,290), Lakes (505), Hawke’s Bay (1,064), MidCentral (919), Whanganui (388), Taranaki (679), Tairāwhiti (339), Wairarapa (276), Capital and Coast (1,259), Hutt Valley (720), Nelson Marlborough (584), Canterbury (3,468), South Canterbury (319), Southern (1,631), West Coast (56); Unknown (15)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 43
- Number of active community cases (total): 119,766 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 537,582
Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.
Tests
- Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,483
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 40,294
- PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,292
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days as of 22/03/22): 15.7 million
1pm - The Ministry of Health is repoting 20,087 new community cases, 960 hospitalisations (31 of whom are in ICU) and 11 deaths.
"Today we are sadly reporting an additional 11 COVID-19 related deaths.
"These deaths take the total number of publicly reported COVID-19 related deaths to 210 and the 7-day rolling average of reported deaths to 9.
"Of these 11 people who have died, two are from Northland, five are from the Auckland region, one is from Bay of Plenty and three from the Wellington region.
"One of these people was in their 30s, one in their 60s, one in their 70s, four people were in their 80s and four people in their 90s.
"Six were men and five were women.
"This is a very sad time for whānau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this time.
"Out of respect, we will be making no further comment. "
12:55pm - The Greens aren't in favour of the newly-announced changes:
The Green Party does not support changes to COVID protection measures and calls on the Government to act urgently to keep our most at-risk communities safe.
"The Green Party is calling for much stronger baseline protections to keep people safe from Omicron, as well as additional protections for spikes in infections and any new variants," says Teanau Tuiono, spokesperson for the COVID-19 response.
The Green Party calls on the Government to act right now to:
- Rollout a school-based vaccination programme to ensure high and equitable vaccine coverage among eligible children
- Work alongside Māori and Pasifika leadership to achieve high equity in vaccine coverage
- Provide free N95 masks or equivalent for everyone, starting in schools for both children and teachers, as children will be at greater risk from the removal of vaccine mandates
"Stronger protections in schools, equitable vaccination rates, and free masks are essential for keeping our most at-risk communities safe. They are also necessary to protect our overwhelmed health system.
"This pandemic is not over. We have seen overseas what happens if protections are removed too soon. It is also far too premature to drop vaccine mandates for education, especially in early childhood education where under-5s cannot be vaccinated.
"The Government should be trying to stay ahead of the virus and doing everything we can to avoid a second peak. If we don’t, it will be Māori and Pasifika whānau, immunocompromised people, disabled people, our under-5s, and whānau on the lowest incomes who will be most affected.
"Now the Government has changed protection measures, it needs to act urgently to make sure there are much stronger baseline protections in our communities. This is especially important for the under-5s who cannot be vaccinated, and for immunocompromised people and those with underlying health conditions.
"Longer-term, the Government needs to commit to improving indoor air quality so we can move out of the emergency response phase safely.
"The Green Party also wants to see a clear plan to improve the long-term wellbeing of our communities. Many thousands of people will continue to experience disruption from COVID and urgent steps need to be taken to make sure that whatever the pandemic brings, no one has to go through it while still trapped in poverty," Teanau Tuiono says.
12:45pm - The Hospitality Association isn't happy with all of the Government's announcements:
The removal of mandates and increase to gathering numbers is a step forward in our path to revival and recovery, however, the seated and separated rule is still a major issue for our industry," says Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant Association.
"We are hopeful that the changes to the number limits at red, opening of the borders and gradual removal of mandates will give a boost to consumer confidence and ease some of the challenges our industry has been facing.
"But the increase of limits to 200 while the seated and separated rule remains, will have little to no impact on our small, medium sized business which make up the majority of the industry.
"Whilst we continue to deal with restrictions, we would like to see a wage subsidy offered to get our businesses through this current outbreak."
In a survey of its members conducted on 20th March 2022, 77 per cent of respondents supported the removal of the requirement for hospitality workers to be fully vaccinated.
The same survey of members indicated that 87 per cent would support changes to the requirement for customers to present a My Vaccine Pass.
"Hospitality business owners and their teams are unfortunately the ones at the coal face having to ensure that customers are complying with the traffic light rules. In a busy restaurant environment and with limited staff it is not always easy to have sufficient staff to be constantly monitoring diners' compliance," continued Bidois.
"Hospitality venues are also places we go to relax and enjoy ourselves, so the removal of this additional process is a positive step. However, our venues are also places where people want to socialise with others, particularly in bars and clubs so the continued enforcement of seated and separated will continue to be a sizeable issue for the industry.
"As well as more financial support, we would also like to see the Government outline a tangible vision for the recovery of our sector which clearly sets out the indicators required for a move to orange.
"We believe this should include a change of rhetoric from one of fear to one of hope and incentives, such as a subsidized dining scheme, to get people back out and stimulating the economy.
"I think we all want to see our cities returning to the vibrant urban hubs they were before the pandemic, so we are hopeful that the changes announced today will build consumer confidence and herald the return of people into our venues."
12:35pm - The PPTA has released this statement:
The Government’s decision, announced today, to remove vaccine mandates for education workers comes as no surprise, says PPTA Te Wehengarua President Melanie Webber.
"PPTA's support of the mandates stemmed from our policy, led by members, that we would support public health advice around COVID-19. We supported the mandates as the best means of keeping teachers, students, and their communities, particularly the vulnerable, safe against a raging and deadly global pandemic. For us, the mandates were always about protecting ourselves but equally importantly trying to prevent young children, elderly and those who are immunocompromised, from being infected.
"While the vast majority of secondary teachers were vaccinated before the mandates were introduced, the requirement meant that vaccination rates across the education sector rose significantly, and we are now at the stage where the mandates have done their job and are not needed any longer.
"The removal of them is a decision that has been made based on the best public health advice. However, this does not mean a return to any sense of normality at the moment."
Melanie Webber said the mandates had been extremely difficult for the relatively small number of secondary teachers who chose not to be vaccinated. "With teacher shortages continuing in secondary, it is likely that many of these teachers will be able to find new jobs in education now they are able to return. There will certainly be plenty of opportunities for relief teaching as schools continue to be hugely affected by Omicron."
Melanie Webber said schools will need to work through details related to the employment of unvaccinated teachers. "And they will need to support staff, particularly those who are immuno-compromised or have underlying health conditions, who feel anxious about working alongside unvaccinated people." This will need to be worked through on a school-by- school basis but we hope there will be some clear national guidelines that schools can follow.
"The mandates are just one element of the huge disruption COVID-19 has wreaked in school life over the last two years. Teachers have risen swiftly and impressively to the challenges of COVID-19 but there is no doubt the pandemic has really taken its toll on students and teachers. Hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel soon."
12:30pm - We will continue to bring you reaction to the change in COVID settings until 1pm when we expect the Ministry of Health will release the latest COVID-19 data.
Here's what modeller Professor Michael Plank has to say:
“Vaccine passes were an important part of safely emerging from last year’s Auckland lockdown and keeping Delta low over summer. But Omicron has changed the game – vaccines are still hugely effective at preventing severe illness, but less effective at stopping people catching and spreading the virus.
"At the same time, we now have increasing levels of infection-acquired immunity in the population. This means that allowing unvaccinated people into places like cafes and bars doesn’t substantially alter the risk of catching COVID there – there are likely to be lots of COVID-positive people there either way. As a blanket measure, vaccine passes are therefore much less effective now at reducing transmission than they were a few months ago.
"However, although we may be close the peak of this Omicron wave, we still have a difficult journey ahead. At least as many people will be infected on the way down the mountain as on the way up, and pressure on our healthcare system is likely to remain high.
"Keeping mask rules is crucial to limit transmission. Now that RATs are becoming more widely available, adding a requirement to ‘test to release’ after the seven-day isolation period would reduce the risk of people going back into the community while still infectious."
12:20pm - BusinessNZ is welcoming the Government's announcement:
Changes to New Zealand’s Omicron response including gathering limits and dropping vaccine mandates for most workplaces is welcome progress, BusinessNZ says.
BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says vaccine mandates have done their job, allowing us to reach a 95 percent vaccination rate, "But with the strain Omicron has put on the workforce, it’s time to start reintegrating workers."
"Businesses are capable of making decisions to manage the risk of Covid in their workplaces and have the tools they need to keep their staff and customers safe.
"These tools include vaccination, testing, boosters and ventilation, on top of rigorous personal hygiene practices."
Mr. Hope says dropping vaccine pass requirements, no longer asking people to scan in at the door and more should start to give people confidence in returning to normality.
"But while easing restrictions is a move in the right direction, it’s worth pointing out some sectors remain constrained. Government advice going forward needs to be crystal clear on requirements as to when we can expect to move to the Orange setting, under the Covid Protection Framework.
"Any advice from MBIE around vaccination mandates should ensure any small and medium businesses understand what they can and can’t legally enforce, so they don’t find themselves in employment court."
12:10pm - With news that the Government is ditching vaccine passes and QR code scanning, here is how RetailNZ is reacting:
Retail NZ has welcomed news that vaccine passes and QR code scanning will no longer be required in cafés and close personal services like hairdressers and beauty services from but says that the Government urgently needs to act on mask rules.
"Moving to a greater sense of normality, is a good thing for the retail sector, including shops, cafés, hairdressers and beauty services. Many customers have been reluctant to get out to the shops over the past several months, out of a fear of COVID," Greg Harford, Retail NZ Chief Executive said today. "It’s great news that we are now moving closer to normality, and it’s particularly good news that Vaccine Passes will no longer be required in cafés, hairdressers, barbers and beauty services from. Moving away from restrictions is a signal to customers that people can get out and about, and Retail NZ is encouraging customers to support local businesses.
"However, the continued requirement for customers to wear masks, while effectively making them optional via an incredibly loose self-exemption process, creates significant tension, and a flashpoint of aggression for many customers. At the moment, the Government is telling us that it is important to wear masks. Despite months of pleading from Retail NZ about the levels of aggression and stress the current scheme creates for retail workers mental health and wellbeing, the Government is not prepared to put in place a proper process for managing mask exemptions. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Kiwis are claiming to be exempt from the mask requirement, yet there is no formal process for verifying this with medical doctors.
"If the Government truly believes masks remain important, then it needs to tighten up significantly on the exemption process. Equally, if masks are no longer required as an effective tool to manage COVID-19, then the Government should simply make them optional."
12pm - National's Chris Bishop also says the Government is unwilling to cede control.
National welcomes today’s announcement that vaccine passes and scanning requirements will be abolished, outdoor gathering limits will be scrapped and some vaccine mandates will be phased out, says National’s COVID-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop.
"The Government has finally caught up with reality, which is that Omicron has changed the game and the tools that worked against Delta are now putting unjustified limits on people’s lives and sowing division and discrimination.
"There is very little point in vaccine passes anymore and it’s good they’re finally being abolished.
"The end of the vaccine pass system does call into question the relevancy of the Government’s Traffic Light Framework, which has vaccine passes at its heart.
"The Government would be better to ditch the whole thing and create some simple rules around masks and perhaps venue limits, rather than persist with a complicated colour-code system that has never been used properly and that barely anyone understands.
"This smacks of a Government that is simply unwilling to cede control and let New Zealanders get on with things.
"While today’s mandate announcements are positive, the Government should also signal a timeline for abolishing the remaining mandates.
"Kiwis have done the right thing – 95 per cent of us are double vaccinated and over 70 per cent of the eligible population is boosted.
"After two tough years, it’s time to get back to normality and start thinking positively about the future."
11:55am - ACT leader David Seymour says it appears Jacinda Ardern "can't let go of control":
"No wonder we have a productivity problem when even the Prime Minister takes 22 minutes to deliver 2 minutes of information," says ACT Leader David Seymour.
"Jacinda seems to have a case of separation anxiety, she can't let go of control. She keeps announcing and restricting while the economy slides into recession.
"Jacinda gave us 22-minute history of COVID in New Zealand, we all lived through it, we didn't need to be patronised with a recap.
"A real leader would cut to the chase and then be open to scrutiny from journalists, not preach to us at length.
"The Prime Minister's real problem is that she's leaned into fear as a means of control for two years and doesn't know how to shut down the fear factory. Having fed the fear she has to keep feeding the fear, so we keep nonsensical restrictions for another week for reasons of political theatre.
"We've done the mahi, but we have to wait for visitors to arrive to get the treats. Waiting until 5 April for vaccine passes and mandates to go makes no sense. They should go immediately.
"Mandates and passes have segregated some people from society. ACT says it's time to move on, today. ACT has always said people should have been able to undergo regular testing as an alternative.
"A gathering limit of 200 with seating rules still in place will be little relief for the hospitality sector. This is just more control from Government.
"There are parts of the announcement we do welcome. Outdoor gathering limits don't make sense. We're pleased to see the back of them. QR codes also no longer make sense, they should go immediately, why are we waiting until the weekend?"
"New Zealanders are fed up. It's time to move on. The traffic light system should go. We don't need small tweaks; we need real change. We need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The 22-minute speech that should have taken 2 minutes was not worth the wait."
11:50am - Ardern says people who were stood down due to vaccine mandates could be reinstated now that mandates are being dropped in some sectors. Some workers didn't lose their jobs, she says, but were instead put on leave for extended periods. That may mean unvaccinated teachers could be employed.
11:45am - Here's reaction from Eden Park:
"We are absolutely thrilled with the Government's announcement today and look forward to reopening New Zealand's national stadium to fans, event-goers and casual staff," said Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner.
"We have a great lineup of sports fixtures and concerts planned at our iconic stadium including the Super Rugby Pacific game between the Blues and Moana Pasifika on April 2. Being able to host unrestricted crowd numbers means we can now fill the stands with fans from across the region to cheer on their favourite team.
"We have a range of venue options to host small or large corporate and community events such as the famous Art in the Park show which takes place in September this year. This announcement is a milestone for Eden Park after what has been a tough couple of years for everyone and our team is ready to go.
"Eden Park is New Zealand's national stadium and is capable of hosting up to 50,000 people. We host a range of regional and national events and stage world-class concerts like the SIX60, Guns N' Roses and Ed Sheeran concerts which deliver significant economic, social and cultural benefits for Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa New Zealand," said Nick Sautner.
"The announcement is welcome news for many local hospitality businesses in the community that rely upon patronage pre- and post-events at Eden Park.
"Over the last two years, our 3000-strong casual workforce seen limited employment opportunity and we can't wait to roll out the welcome mat!
"Finally, we would like to acknowledge our teams, partners, suppliers and members who have supported the venue through this unprecedented period in our history.
"Now it's time to shine and create more memories for fans of all generations," said Nick Sautner.
11:40am - Ardern says ministers have been meeting with the disabilities and immunocompromised communities about the COVID response.
Mask-use is a respectful way of keeping people safe, she says. Disability providers can access RATs for their clients and a home delivery option is being launched on Thursday.
11:35am - Ardern says red light settings will be reviewed on April 4. There will then be a regular review cycle.
The Prime Minister says we are keeping tools in our backpocket, like vaccine passes and QR codes. We aren't sure what the pandemic will produce next, she says.
Nothing we are currently experiencing suggests a need for lockdowns, Ardern tells reporters. But she doesn't completely rule out using them again in the future.
11:30am - Here's the full announcement from the Prime Minister:
New Zealand's successful management of the Omicron outbreak and high rates of vaccination mean it's now safe to ease the restrictions that have successfully prevented widespread health and economic damage, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.
"The evidence shows we are coming off the Omicron peak with cases in Auckland having already declined significantly, and a decline expected nationally by early April," Jacinda Ardern said.
"To date we've had more than 500,000 reported cases of COVID-19 and expert modellers say there have probably been 1.7 million actual infections. That figure, coupled with 95 percent of New Zealanders being fully vaccinated, means we now have a high level of collective immunity.
"New Zealanders have worked incredibly hard to get through this pandemic and as a result of those efforts we are now in a position to move forward and change the way we do things.
"First up we have simplified the COVID-19 Protection Framework to target restrictions at those activities that reduce transmission the most.
"From 4 April, My Vaccine Pass will no longer be required by the Government meaning Kiwis will no longer have to be vaccinated in order to enter those venues covered by the Pass. Scanning in requirements for the vaccinated will also end.
"We recognise that some businesses, events or venues may still choose to use vaccine passes, so we will maintain the infrastructure for them.
"From 4 April, vaccine mandates will be removed, except for health and disability, aged care, corrections and border workforces.
"Like many other countries we are retaining a small number of mandates targeted at keeping our COVID-19 frontline staff safe and to ensure our most vulnerable, like those in aged care facilities or those with disabilities, are protected from the virus.
"I know for many this part of our defence against COVID-19 was one of the hardest. But mandates meant we reached the levels of vaccination needed to prevent the devastating outbreaks seen across the world.
"We've also used the evidence gathered over the last few months on Omicron to make changes to the Red and Orange settings.
"From midnight this Friday outdoor gathering limits will be lifted. We know being outdoors for gatherings is safe. We want to encourage that, especially at Red.
"We also believe we can lift indoor gathering limits at Red with little material impact on hospitalisations, so these will double from 100 to 200.
"Orange settings remain broadly the same with no gathering limits but extra guidance on holding safe events, and a new requirement for workers to wear masks at indoor events.
"And so, simply put, Red means indoor gathering limits and masks, Orange means masks, and Green means guidance.
"At all levels, the testing and isolation requirements remain as they are now.
"We are keeping the traffic light framework in order to offer ongoing protections in the event of a new variant or in cases of future surges, but our plan is to move down to Orange and then ultimately Green once it is safe to do so.
"Putting people's health is the best economic approach. The hard work and sacrifices of New Zealanders delivered the lowest numbers of cases and deaths in the OECD for the last two years and puts us in the best position to recover strongly.
"With our cases coming down it's time to take our next steps with confidence in the collective immunity and protections we have built up. These new settings support greater economic activity and get everyone closer to feeling a bit more normal, while also continuing to manage COVID-19 and provide protection and care for those who need it most.
"With our economy now larger than pre-COVID levels, record low levels of unemployment, and tourism about to reopen we are in a strong position to accelerate our recovery. Our COVID-19 restrictions have been tough, but they have delivered a strong foundation for us to move forward," Jacinda Ardern said.
11:25am - The Prime Minister is now answering questions. She says the changes have not been influenced by political pressure. She stands by the decisions the Government has made over the last two years.
Auckland's case numbers are declining at a "rapid pace", Ardern says. Most of the changes won't come into effect until April 5 when it's thought other parts of the country will have seen cases peak.
11:20am - Regarding mandates, Ardern says they will be removed for police, the education sector, defence and businesses currently using vaccine passes. This also comes into effect from the night of April 4.
They will still be used for health, aged care, corrections and border/MIQ workers. These are high-risk environments and where employees are working with vulnerable people.
She says this is not the end of COVID-19, but it is also a new beginning.
11:15am - Ardern says vaccine passes and mandates were required for a safe reopening last year and to incentivise vaccinations, but that's changed with Omicron and with high vaccination rates.
Vaccine passes will be removed from 11:59pm on April 4. Businesses can continue to use them. Passes may be brought back if there is a change in circumstances, such as a new variant.
People will no longer need to scan from this weekend and businesses will not be required to put up QR codes. But people are encouraged to keep the app on their phone in case circumstances change.
11:10am - With COVID remaining in the community, we need to use tools to protect vulnerable communities while also slowing spread and limiting pressure on hospitals.
The traffic light system will be kept. It will allow us to handle future variants, Ardern says. New data gathered over recent months have allowed the Government to make adjustments.
At red, Ardern says gathering limits indoors can be increased to 200 without a significant impact on the health system. Seated and separated rules will be kept for hospitality. Outdoors, gatherings limits will be scrapped. That includes at sporting events and at concerts.
At orange, there are no capacity limits. The Government is encouraging larger events with over 500 people to add extra capacity or provide seating.
There are no changes to green.
These will come into effect from 11:59pm on Friday.
11:05am - Prime Minister Ardern says she is setting out the next set of changes to New Zealand's COVID settings.
It's easy to lose sight of how far New Zealand has come over the last two years, she says. Two years ago, we could contact trace 50 cases a day and could link cases to the border, but that then changed. Days later, New Zealand was in a national lockdown. Ardern says that wasn't a hard decision as we had no other way to protect ourselves. We built our own defences and hunkered down.
But those defences were blunt and meant to be temporary. Other tools have come along since, she says. New Zealand had a successful response to COVID, the PM tells reporters.
While successful, it's been "bloody hard", Ardern says. There have been a number of trade-offs, she says, and not everyone has agreed with choices. But Kiwis have been unified by being safer, while also all tired and fatigued.
With high vaccination rates, we can reopen safely, she says. But COVID is here to stay, Ardern says. We have a choice in how we manage it.
More than 20,000 cases were announced on Tuesday, Ardern says. We have seen cases peak in Auckland and that should be reflected in hospitalisations soon. The rest of the country will follow Auckland, she says. The numbers will decline over the coming two weeks. There won't be a hard decline, but it will be steady. There could be several thousand cases a day with potential future spikes, especially over winter.
10:55am - There are new banners behind the Beehive theatrette podium. We are waiting on the Prime Minister now.
10:50am - We have placed the livestream in the video above. If you can't see it, refresh your page. The press conference will start around 11am.
10:40am - How many people have lost their jobs due to vaccine mandates? It's difficult to pinpoint it down, but a Newshub investigation last month found at least 2600 workers had been stood down across Government sectors.
The health sector is one of the most impacted, with 1461 workers affected across the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs), according to the latest update on December 23.
10:25am - The Prime Minister faced questions at her post-Cabinet press conference on Monday over why ministers' decisions around COVID-19 settings weren't being announced until Wednesday.
This was her response:
"In the next 48 hours, we'll use that time to make sure that some of the changes that were made even this afternoon by Cabinet - that we have finalised those, that we have updated the advice, that we've identified any knock-on effects from the decisions we've made so that they're all as clear as they can be and ready to go for Wednesday."
She said no one would be impacted by the additional 48-hour wait as "the changes aren't immediate". The Prime Minister believed she would be criticised if she came out of the Cabinet meeting, made the announcement and then couldn't answer questions in detail.
"We just need some time to finalise some of the work that we’re doing at the moment. If you’d prefer me not to flag in the future when we’re making announcements, we can happily do that as well."
10:15am - Speaking to Newstalk ZB on Wednesday morning, Sir John Key was critical of the two-day delay to the COVID-19 announcement.
"Why do we have this dog and pony show where the Government basically wanders along and says I'm going to make an announcement to the announcement to the announcement," Sir John said. "By the way, I'll get the maximum theatre I can by announcing it on Wednesday as if it is completely independent to the lives of New Zealanders."
He said there was little need for most of the measures, noting that no-one is scanning-in. Most Kiwis are "over it" and want to "re-engage with the rest of the world".
"Why do you have restrictions on anything? The answer is to keep people safe and change their behaviour. Well guess what? We changed their behaviour, 95 percent of the country is vaccinated, good on them. I have been a 100 per cent supporter of any effort to get to that point, it keeps them and their family safe."
10:05am - Kia ora, good morning, and welcome to Newshub's live updates for Wednesday. The Government is likey to make some significant announcements at 11am, when the Prime Minister will hold a press conference outlining the future of our COVID settings.
While you're waiting, you may want to read these articles which give background to what we can expect to hear from Jacinda Ardern:
