The new COVID Protection Framework is here - freedoms are now determined by vaccine certificates and the rules attached to the three 'traffic light' levels.
On Friday, December 3, the whole of New Zealand moves to the new system. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Monday at which level each region will begin, and it will be reviewed in two weeks.
Vaccine passes won't be required for everything. In fact, the restrictions only really affect close contact services, such as hospitality venues, gyms, hairdressers and events.
Vaccination status cannot be asked for at essential services such as dairies and convenience stores, petrol stations, pharmacies, supermarkets, or to access social services.
What are the levels?
- Red will be used if there's a major outbreak or low vaccination levels in a region, putting vulnerable people at risk and threatening an unsustainable number of hospitalisations.
- Orange will be used when there's increasing community transmission of COVID-19 but vaccination levels are high.
- Green will be used when there are some COVID-19 cases in the community but vaccination levels are high.
Ardern has confirmed that no region will begin at 'green'.
On December 15, travellers out of Auckland will need to be fully vaccinated or have a negative test administered no more than 72 hours before departure. The same will apply to ferries departing Wellington for the South Island, and regional Air New Zealand flights.
The vaccine certificate or negative test result requirement will be in place until January 17.
Face coverings will be mandatory on flights at all levels. At 'orange', they will also be required to use public transport, get taxis, shop at stores and use public facilities. The same applies to 'red', except masks are also encouraged whenever leaving the house.
At 'red', staff at most businesses are encouraged to work from home if possible and face coverings are encouraged. At 'orange', face coverings are still encouraged but working from home is no longer encouraged, and at 'green' workplaces can operate as normal.
In general, workers who are regularly present in the workplace do not need to scan NZ COVID tracer app QR codes. However, all other people on the premises including customers must scan in.
Hospitality
Vaccination for all workers is required. They need to have had their second dose by January 17. Businesses must also display NZ COVID tracer app QR codes.
RED - Cafes, bars, takeaway shops, nightclubs and restaurants can open to guests with vaccine certificates but with a limit of 100 people and 1m of distance.
Vaccinated customers must sign in with the NZ Covid Tracer app, be seated and separated, and wear face coverings when they're not eating or drinking.
Venues where food and drink is provided can be hired, with a limit of 100 vaccinated people. Food and beverage service must be seated and separated and face coverings are encouraged.
If a hospitality business chooses not to use vaccine certificates, they can only operate contactlessly.
Unvaccinated people can, however, hire venues where food and drink is provided, but with a limit of 25 people, and face coverings are encouraged.
ORANGE - There is no limit on the number of guests who can enter cafes, bars, takeaway shops, nightclubs and restaurants - but only if vaccine certificates are used.
There is also no limit on the number of people who can attend a hired venue if vaccine passes are checked, and guests don't have to be seated and separated.
Businesses that choose not to use vaccine passes must still operate contactlessly. But unvaccinated people can hire venues where food and drink is provided and have up to 50 people attend.
GREEN - Hospitality venues can open to guests with no gatherings limits if vaccine passes are used. A hired venue that uses vaccine certificates can also operate with no restrictions.
Businesses that choose not to use vaccine certificates can open to 100 people, but they must be seated and separated.
A hired venue can have up to 100 unvaccinated people or 1 metre distance per defined space - whichever is the lesser. Food and beverage service must be seated and separated, unless it is a gathering and not an event.
Hair and beauty
Vaccination for all workers is required. Workers must have had both doses by January 17. Workplaces must display NZ COVID tracing app QR codes.
RED - Close contact services including barbers, beauty parlours, hairdressers, nail salons, non-medical massages, and tattoo parlours, can open to vaccinated customers. Face coverings are encouraged for customers and required for staff.
Businesses that choose not to check vaccination status cannot open.
ORANGE - The same rules apply.
GREEN - Businesses that check vaccine passes can operate and staff don't need to wear face coverings.
Businesses that don't check vaccination status can open but must have 1 metre distance between customers, and staff need to wear face coverings.
Events
Vaccination for all workers is required. Workers include staff, volunteers, contractors, professional and semi-professional performers. They need to have had both doses by January 17. Businesses and services must display NZ COVID Tracer app QR codes.
The Government classifies 'outdoor community events' and 'events (indoor/outdoor)' separately under the traffic light framework.
"Outdoor community events (such as organised public parades) will be treated as 'gatherings' under the Health Order, and will be subject to the gathering limits for the colour setting they are held in," a spokesperson told Newshub.
"General events (indoor/outdoor, e.g. concerts and cinemas) are not able to operate at red or orange if My Vaccine Pass is not used."
The important words here are 'gathering' and 'event' - the Government defines them differently. It means in some cases, for example, you can still use a concert venue for a gathering of people, but not a full-blown ticketed event.
RED - Professional or semi-professional sporting events, private or public events of all sizes, auctions, private galleries, as well as concert and conference venues, can only have 100 vaccinated guests based on 1m distance per defined space - whichever is the lesser.
Food and beverage service must be seated and separated and face coverings are encouraged.
If any of those venues decide not to use vaccine passes, they can only have up to 25 guests and face coverings are encouraged.
For 'outdoor community events', such as fairs, up to 100 vaccinated people can gather based on 1m distance - whichever is the lesser. There must be a 2m gap between groups and face coverings are encouraged.
For 'outdoor community events' that don't use vaccine passes, the gathering limit is 25 people per defined space, with a 2m gap between groups. Face coverings are still encouraged.
ORANGE - Events can go ahead without capacity limits if guests are vaccinated. Food and beverage service at stadiums may be collected at the counter and consumed in seating.
Events cannot go ahead unless vaccination status is checked. However, gatherings of up to 50 people per defined space can go ahead without checking vaccine passes. Face coverings are encouraged and food and beverage service may be collected at the counter and consumed in seating if it's served at a stadium gathering.
GREEN - The same rules apply for events that check vaccination status, except that face coverings are no longer encouraged.
Events that don't ask to check vaccine passes can open to 100 people with 1m distance per defined space.
Retail
Retail is not required to use vaccine passes. But worker vaccinations are required for health practitioners, such as pharmacists. Retail businesses are also required to display QR codes.
COVID-19 restrictions are the same for retail whether vaccine verification is used or not but the restrictions differ slightly at each traffic light.
Vaccine verification cannot be asked for at dairies and convenience stores, petrol stations, pharmacies and supermarkets.
RED - Retail may open with capacity limits based on 1m distance for shoppers and face coverings are mandatory unless a person is exempt.
"Capacity limits are based on the maximum number of people who could occupy the space if each person was 1m apart. People do not have to keep 1m apart at the venue," a spokesperson told Newshub, when asked if there is an actual number limit.
"In some cases a maximum number is also specified. The limits include everyone, including children, in a defined space, except workers."
ORANGE - The same rules apply.
GREEN - Retail may open without number limits.
Entertainment and exercise
Vaccination for all workers is required. Workers must have had their second dose by January 17. Businesses and services must display NZ COVID Tracer app QR codes.
RED - Gyms can open to 100 vaccinated people or based on 1m of distance people per defined space - whichever is the lesser.
The same applies to a privately hired facility such as a bowling alley for a staff event, indoor entertainment facilities such as arcades, mini golf and casinos, and off-premises activities like guided walks, kayaking tours, golf and tennis clubs.
The same rules apply to cinemas and theatres, but food and beverage service needs to be collected at the counter and consumed in seating.
Face coverings are encouraged at all places, except for gyms.
Gyms that choose not to check vaccination status cannot open. All of the other recreation venues mentioned can open without checking vaccination status, but only up to 25 people in a defined space, and the attendees must be known to each other.
ORANGE - Gathering limits are dropped for all entertainment and exercise venues but face coverings are still encouraged indoors.
Gyms still cannot open if vaccination status isn't checked.
All of the other recreation venues mentioned can open without checking vaccine passes, but only to 50 people in a defined space, and the attendees must be known to each other.
GREEN - The settings are the same for venues that check vaccination status.
Gyms that don't check vaccine passes can open to up to 100 people based on 1m distance per defined space.
All the other recreation venues mentioned can open to unvaccinated people, but with a capacity of 100 people based on 1m distance per defined space.
