New Zealand will remain at the orange traffic light setting until at least late June, the COVID-19 Response Minister says.
The country moved to orange on the night of April 13 after having been in red since late January due to the Omicron outbreak. No specific deadline was given for when the country would move to green, with ministers instead doing regular reviews.
"While daily cases numbers have flattened nationally, they are again beginning to increase in the Northern region and hospitalisation rates have also increased slightly over the past month. In addition, our latest COVID-19 modelling indicates that under current conditions, there is a likelihood of a secondary wave of cases appearing," Hipkins said.
"The COVID-19 Protection Framework has effectively managed the Omicron outbreak at Orange. By following public health advice to remain at that setting, we can maintain some protections while ensuring businesses can continue to operate."
Hipkins has previously said it would be optimistic to think New Zealand could move to green before the end of winter, as it's likely cases will start to rise again alongside a potential influx of influenza. Modelling by the Ministry of Health revealed by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield earlier this month showed a resurgence of cases possibly in late May or in August-September.
Other factors making the Government cautious about a move to green include the possible arrival of new strains of colds and flus "which will add to the workloads of our already busy hospitals".
"I urge everyone to continue to be cautious and think about the health of others, especially those who are immunocompromised or at higher risk of long-term health impacts from infection," Hipkins said on Monday. "Please also get boosted, if you haven’t already."
He said isolation, vaccination and masks continue to be the country's "main defences against COVID-19", with mask use still required in some indoor locations.
At orange, there are no capacity limits on gatherings, either indoors or outdoors. Previous requirements to display QR codes and use vaccine passes are also no longer in place. Face masks must continue to be worn in some indoor locations, like on public transport and in retail, but not in hospitality. There are no restrictions at green.
New Zealand recorded 6000 new community cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with nine deaths being report as well as 363 hospitalisations, nine of whom are in ICU. The rolling seven-day average of cases sat at 7712, up slightly from 7702 last Monday.
The Green Party earlier on Tuesday called for the Government to establish an action plan for schools over the winter.
"Opening classroom windows as the outside temperatures plummet is not a good enough plan to keep children, young people, their teachers and whānau safe," says Teanau Tuiono, Greens spokesperson for COVID-19 response.
"We face a possible second COVID-19 peak over winter, at the same time as open borders bring new viruses into our communities. Communities need an expert-led plan to support children’s access to education, and protect children, school staff, and their families from COVID-19 and other winter respiratory infections."
The party wants the plan to include a focus on indoor air quality, requiring mask use in schools, free N95s for teachers and students, and moves to improve vaccine uptake against COVID-19 and influenza.
