no strict locks to fight Omikron

New Zealand will do not declare strict locks fight Omikron. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is counting on the new variant, as in many other countries, to cause major outbreaks. So far, that hasn’t been the case, in part because travelers have to quarantine.

New Zealand policy has focused from the start on containing the coronavirus as much as possible. Strict epidemic control has allowed the population to live most of the time as before the pandemic.

It now becomes more difficult due to Omikron’s contagiousness. In addition, a large part of the population is now vaccinated. “The pandemic at this point is unlike anything we’ve faced before,” says Ardern. “But like before, we change when covid changes.”

If Omikron is established in New Zealand, the government will make mask-wearing compulsory in schools and limit the maximum group size to 100 people. Ardern already advises people to get boosted. So far, 52% of people over 12 have done so. 93% had two injections.

On average, 20 Delta infections are now diagnosed every day in New Zealand.