New Zealand will lift Covid restrictions only when ‘well beyond’ peak, Jacinda Ardern says

Prime minister says now is not the time to remove our armour just as the battle begins' despite pressure from protesters

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New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said Covid-19 restrictions, including mandates and vaccine passes, will begin to lift once the country gets well beyond" the Omicron outbreak's peak.

At a post-cabinet press conference on Monday, Ardern said case numbers were likely to peak in mid-to-late March, or three to six weeks away. Case numbers were expected to double every three to four days.