A mega COVID-19 rule shakeup is upon us.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will on Wednesday announce changes to three major COVID-19 rules: vaccine passes, mandates, and QR code scanning.
Ardern confirmed on Monday that following Cabinet discussions, she would in 48 hours "set out changes to COVID settings" and detail "what this means for our vaccine passes, mandates, and the COVID Protection Framework".
It follows sweeping changes to the Government's COVID-19 response in recent months, from isolation periods slashed to a week, to the scrapping of state-run managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) for international arrivals.
It's all because Omicron changed the game. The highly-contagious variant could never be kept at bay and the Government accepted that but used the first two months of 2022 to drive up booster vaccinations.
Omicron is now widespread in the community with the average number of daily cases more than 17,000. That increased exposure to the virus has prompted the Government to adjust its approach.
"After this significant outbreak, a number of those will have had COVID-19 and that means that the benefit of those vaccine passes is significantly reduced, and that is why we'll then be in a position to make those decisions," Ardern said on Monday.
"We've been very clear: we have a duty of care to everyone but particularly the immunocompromised; we're making these decisions carefully, and they will be well balanced with their health and wellbeing in mind, alongside everyone else's."
The end of mandates and passes?
COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory for workers across health, education, Corrections, Fire and Emergency, the border and close contact businesses that operate vaccine certificates under the COVID Protection Framework, or traffic light system.
Newshub revealed last month that more than 2600 workers had been stood down across the Government's sectors mandated to be vaccinated. Since then, the mandate for police and Defence Force has been quashed by the High Court.
It's difficult to get a clear picture of how many unvaccinated workers in private close contact businesses have been stood down due to the traffic light system requirements but the Restaurant Association provided a glimpse.
A survey conducted in January found that 40 percent of members reported losing some staff as a result of the vaccination requirement. A total of 464 members responded to the survey and the average number of staff lost was about one to two.
The mandates have been highly contentious, prompting a three-week protest at Parliament that ended in a violent standoff with police. But research has shown that the odds of contracting Omicron after receiving three doses of the vaccine drop by 67 percent.
"Mandates only make sense to encourage vaccination, prevent the spread by segregating people or to reduce hospitalisation," ACT leader David Seymour said last week.
"At 97 percent, mandates won't make more people get vaccinated. The growth of cases is exponential. Vaccinations mandates are not affecting it anymore."
The Greens disagree.
"Now is not the time to ditch effective COVID-19 protections that are essential for keeping people safe," says COVID-19 spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.
"Health experts are clear that three doses of vaccine are required to be fully vaccinated against Omicron. Right now, only around 59 percent of Māori and 60 percent of Pacific peoples have had their third dose."
Mandates could be axed for some sectors, but COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has indicated that mandates are likely to remain for the health workforce who deal with vulnerable and immunocompromised people.
Ardern has signalled that vaccine certificates will be rolled back once tourists start arriving in April because they wouldn't be able to enter hospitality venues without a certificate of their own under the current rules.
The COVID Protection Framework is likely to remain, as Ardern indicated last week. She argued that the current 'red' setting, which restricts gatherings to 100 vaccinated people and forces guests to be seated and separated at hospitality venues, is keeping the outbreak under control.
"We do need to ensure that we're continuing to be cautious but we're also planning for when we come down the other side and when we can start to ease many of those restrictions."
It's also likely the Government will adjust mandatory QR scanning, given the only people who need to isolate now are household contacts - not close contacts of strangers at a cafe or a restaurant, thus prompting questions about the requirement.
ACT's Seymour and National MP Chris Bishop have both admitted to not signing in anymore. Only about 300,000 people are still doing it.
"Technically every tourist will be required to download the NZ COVID Tracer app and every business required to display a QR code. However, you can't be a contact unless you share a household so this policy is pointless," Seymour said last week.
"The rest of the world is moving on and dropping restrictions."
Newshub will livestream the Prime Minister's announcement at 11am.
