The purpose of this posting is to spell out what the Covid-19 mandates are, and what they are not. If readers spot errors or omissions, please use "Comments" at the bottom of the posting to let me know.
A mandate is a command, an order, the power to command, control and pass judgements, in this case, based on laws passed by Parliament. The Public Health Response Ammendment Act is one instance of the law as applied to Covid.
Do we have mandates other than for Covid? Yes. Many aspects of our lives are regulated and offenders are fined and imprisoned. Road rules are an obvious example.
Do the mandates affect everyone equally? No. Some apply only to front-line workers, and some situations, for example, health workers, police, corrections, education, cafes, restaurants, aged facilities.
Why the mandates? Most mandates concern vaccinations and other evidence-based controls deemed necessary to manage the virus and protect people's welfare. Irrefutable scientific evidence shows that vaccinated people are far less likely to catch, transmit, be hospitalised or die from the virus than unvaccinated people.
Is vaccination mandated/compulsory? No. But if you do are not vaccinated or exempted, you may be be denied access to work and other places. Read here for how to get an exemption.
Have any mandates been relaxed or removed? Yes. Territorial lockdowns have have ceased, at least for the present. Restrictions on travel have been removed, the use of quarantine facilities is limited to arrivals and departures, the maximum size of gatherings has been increased, and now most domestic cases self-isolate at home. The Traffic Light code is also a relaxation of mandates. We are now in Red. As we move to Orange and Green, more mandates will be removed.
Is social distancing of 1 metre still required? No.
- Gatherings are limited to 25 people if My Vaccine Passes are not being used.
- Children and babies are included in the gathering limits — but not people working at a gathering.
- You must wear a face mask at a gathering if the defined space is shared with other groups or members of the public.
- You do not need to wear a face mask at a gathering when your gathering is the only one using the defined space and other people cannot mix with your guests.
- You do not need to wear a face mask when gathering in a private home.
How long do you need to self-isolate? Ten days if you have the virus; seven if you are a close contact. These are shorter times than previously in MIQ facilities.
How many people can meet together? This has increased to 25 if vaccine passes are not used, and 100 if everyone has a vaccine pass . Children and babies are included in the gatherinbg limits but not people working at a gathering. I am not siure whether people exempted are included or not.
Do you need a My Vaccine Pass to travel? No. Unless your transport provider requires or a negative COVID-19 test.
Must you wear a face mask? You must wear a face mask on all flights and public transport, in taxi and ride-share services. Face masks are also required in many other places including retail stores, public facilities, cafes, restaurants and bars, food and drink businesses, and other close-proximity businesses such as gyms, events, teachers of Year 4-13 classes, and gatherings in public places—unless you are exempt. You can take your face mask off to eat or drink. Masks are encouraged. i.e.,not mandated, elsewhere.
You must wear a mask at a gathering if the defined space is shared with other groups or members of the public. You do not need to wear one when your gathering is the only one in the defined space, or at home.
Must you record where you visit? You should, but this is not mandatory. Scan the QR code or keep a record of where you've been and when.
Can you be fined for breaching a Covid regulation? Yes. The fines depend on the level of risk and intention. Examples of infringement offences include failure to wear a face covering in places where it is mandatory.
A person who intentionally fails to comply with a COVID-19 order, thereby committing a criminal offence, is now liable on conviction for a fine of up to $12,000, up from $4,000, or six months imprisonment. Initially, the fine was $300, less than illegally importing an apple.
Is there a time limit on existing mandates? Not yet.
New cases have risen daily over the past few days (Wednesday 1160, Thursday 1573, Friday 1929, Saturday 1909, today Sunday 2522). The pattern, trend and peaks need to be studied to determine the best time to relax or end the mandate.
Christopher Luxon says, "I think the government does need to produce at some point, when is the point that goes away, I think it's just a question of when they fundamentally think yeah, when we've got boosted when we've got high levels of endemic cases in the community, the relevance of vaccine mandates starts to diminish overtime. It just needs a timeframe for when they think that can be."
Act's David Seymour wants a "vaccine or test policy", where people can undergo regular COVID-19 testing as opposed to being immunised - allowing unvaccinated people in mandated industries to keep their jobs. Prime Minister Ardern said certificates and mandates will be used for only as long as there is a strong public health rationale.
-- ACW
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