The Government has announced the removal of 11 public health measures from the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act but will retain the ability to establish isolation periods, mask-wearing and some traveller requirements. "Now, we can manage the virus with tools such as widened availability of anti-virals, without having to resort to the most restrictive measures." It is critical that a legacy of this pandemic is a fit-for-purpose piece of pandemic legislation like we have for civil defence and natural disasters," Hipkins said. The next review of Covid-19 measures would be completed by the end of November. Ardern said similar legislation to that of civil defence should be considered when thinking about how to address future pandemics.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 18, 2022 02:25 UTC