New Zealand Scraps Most Covid Rules as Virus Battle Winds Down

New Zealand will no longer require people to wear masks in indoor public spaces or to be vaccinated to work in certain roles, as the country winds down its pandemic battle and learns to live with Covid-19. From a report: From midnight, face coverings won't need to be worn anywhere except in health settings like hospitals and aged-care facilities, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference Monday in Wellington. The framework used to specify the level of risk to the community from Covid-19 and corresponding restrictions will be scrapped, she said. "It's time to safely turn the page on our Covid-19 management, and live without the extraordinary measures we have previously used," Ardern said. "Finally, rather than feeling that Covid dictates what happens to us, our lives, and our futures, we take back control." The move brings the curtain down on New Zealand's pandemic response some two and a half years after measures were first implemented. While the nation's tough lockdowns and closed border initially kept Covid-19 at bay, the virus has spread rapidly this year and many people have already stopped adhering to mask-wearing rules. With case numbers and hospitalizations falling as winter comes to an end, and a high level of vaccination in the population, Ardern said the country is in a position to jettison its remaining restrictions.

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