COVID-19 Traffic Light System

A new "traffic light" system and COVID-19 protection framework has been announced by the Government to replace the current 4 Alert Level system. It's designed to allow more trading freedoms in times when we accept we simply have to live with COVID-19 active in the community.

The new system represents three different COVID-19 threat levels; red, orange and green. All three allow relatively high rates of freedom compared to the current alert level system. However, the freedoms afforded for close contact businesses in certain industries will depend highly upon the use of vaccinations and vaccine certificates for nearly everything, except for essential services.

It is proposed this system will replace the current one once various DHB's have all achieved 90% double vaccination rates, then the whole of New Zealand will move to the orange level.

For business which require all customers and workers to be vaccinated, freedoms to trade will be far higher than for businesses who don't, particularly so in the times orange and red levels of threat.

Even better news for Employers, the Government is also going a step further to aid businesses in restructuring their operations by mandating where the business opts to only service vaccinated customers, they will be legally able to require their staff to be 100% vaccinated also by giving 4 weeks' notice to get vaccinated or else be justified in restructuring accordingly following fair process.

Exactly what all of this looks like is yet to be announced over the coming weeks, but the Government is estimating this and the existing vaccine mandates could potentially affect 40% of all NZ workforce.