New Zealand lifted almost all corona measures on Tuesday night (local time). Visitors traveling to the Pacific country will then no longer need to be vaccinated against the virus. The previous rule for travelers to test themselves for the virus immediately after arrival and on the fifth day of their stay only applies on a voluntary basis. In addition, the mask requirement is no longer applicable everywhere except in hospitals and retirement homes.
“It is time to turn the page on our Covid-19 management and live without the extraordinary measures we have taken previously,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
The country had closed its borders in March 2020 and initially followed a strict zero-Covid strategy. The country only fully opened up again this July.
Ardern spoke of a “milestone” in the country’s virus management. “Instead of feeling like Covid is dictating what’s happening to us, our lives and our future, we’re taking control again.” New Zealand, with a population of five million, has recorded more than 1.7 million infections. Almost 2000 people have died from the coronavirus.
