The Government ended the Covid-19 traffic light system at 11:59pm on Monday. Mask requirements have been dropped for most settings, isolation is no longer required for household contacts and all vaccine mandates have been scrapped.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated, however, that mask requirements and isolation for household contacts of Covid-19 may return if a new variant causes a renewed wave of cases.
“The two most effective measures for Omicron continue to be mask use and isolation,” said Ardern.
While a new Omicron variant and a rise in cases would not cause a new Covid-19 response system to be put in place, wider mask use and household isolation requirements may be introduced, Ardern said.
While mask use was now only required in health and aged care settings, Ardern said there were still situations where people are advised to wear a mask, such as when on public transport or around vulnerable people.
