Outbreak of Covid 19 Omicron: New Zealand remains orange traffic light setting, expected second wave of virus in winter

According to the government, the country will only set up orange Covid traffic lights and expect a “second wave” of Omicron infections during the winter months.

New Zealand has been at the orange alert level since 11:59 pm on April 13.

The next review of the setting will be in late June, Covid-19’s responding minister, Chris Hipkins, said today.

During the winter, an increase in Omicron cases was expected.

Hypkins said the orange setting remained appropriate for managing the outbreak of Covid.

The arrival of new strains of colds and flu was another reason to stay vigilant.

“Daily cases have been flat across the country, but have begun to increase again in the northern region, and hospitalization rates have increased slightly over the past month. In addition, the latest Covid-19 modeling is the current situation. Then there will be a wave of secondary cases showing the possibility. “

Hypkins said he could manage virus protection while allowing businesses to continue their business.

He continued to pay attention to kiwis and encouraged them to think about the health of others, especially those with weakened immunity and those at risk of long-term health effects.

“Self-isolation, vaccination and mask wearing continue to be our main defense against Covid-19. People need to wear face masks in many indoor environments,” he said.

“It’s encouraging to see the number of cases stable, but there are other factors that remain cautious and tell us that we haven’t moved to the green yet.”

Diseases such as the flu were expected to increase the workload of already busy hospitals, Hypkins said.

Legal leader David Seymour criticized today’s decision, saying the country should be allowed to move to the green, “and let us continue our lives.”

He said the traffic light system has become “totally redundant.”

“The government has dismantled its own system until there is no reason to exist. It was introduced to manage crowd restrictions, encourage vaccination, and perform contact tracing. These elements were introduced. Neither is working.

“Today’s unannouncement was made at a convenient time, at the same time as the Prime Minister boarded the plane to the United States. Now we have to wait another month for common sense to spread.

“As is often the case with the Covid reaction of workers, it is a political drama that takes precedence over common sense.”

In the orange setting, there are no restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings, and businesses do not need to display a QR code poster (although some people may choose to display it).

Covid’s response in New Zealand has been under control of the traffic light system since midnight on December 2, 2021, replacing the old alert level system that had been in force since March 2020.

Formally known as the Covid-19 Protection Framework, the system was designed to replace the blockade with a series of gradual restrictions designed to keep pressure on the medical system at manageable levels.

New Zealand moved to the red setting on January 23, this year, when community infections of the Omicron mutant were detected.

The red setting was revised in late March as part of a series of changes. This includes lifting the limit on the number of outdoor meetings allowed, raising the limit on indoor meetings from 100 to 200, and changing Covid tracing and vaccine obligations.

At 11:59 pm on April 13, New Zealand moved to an orange traffic light setting, easing school masking requirements.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health announced that there were 6000 new cases in the community and 9 more Covid-related deaths were reported.

363 people were infected with the virus, including 14 in the intensive care unit.

The 7-day moving average has increased slightly more than ever. It was 7712 yesterday and 7702 last Monday.

Professor Michael Baker, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago, said the move to green Traffic light settingsIf there are no restrictions, it seems “unthinkable” at this time.

Omicron outbreaks occurred almost as expected, first peaking in Oakland, then peaking in the rest of the country, and then flattening the increase in cases last month.

Health officials anticipate a winter peak of up to nearly 2600 beds occupied by Covid, RSV, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses.

The winter peak is based on modeling recently revealed by Ashley Bloomfield, Director of Health.

He presented two scenarios. The low infection rate peaked in September with 500 Covid cases in hospitals. Highly permeable peaked in mid-August with a few shyness of 1300 hospitalizations.

The review looks like this Newly updated My Vaccine Pass It will be officially available today.

Those who have the latest information on the Covid vaccine can download the new look MyVaccine Pass, which the authorities continue to encourage, even though it is no longer a legal requirement.

Health Minister Chris Hipkins said when the new app was announced, there may still be some places where a pass is needed.

“In the last few years, I’ve learned that Covid-19 is uncertain and has new variants that travel around the world. It’s best to be prepared in the unlikely event.”

Meanwhile, the government has secured about $ 500 million Purchase and deploy another dose of Covid-19 vaccineAnd other Covid-19 treatments next year.

A budget document released Thursday included an estimate of $ 284.3 million to implement the Covid-19 immune strategy and the purchase of “additional Covid-19 vaccines from mRNA suppliers” in 2022 and 2023. Includes an additional $ 189.2 million for.

If necessary, funding is reserved for the possibility of a fourth dose, but Covid-19’s office of Minister Chris Hipkins has yet to make a decision on Monday to begin the fourth dose. I confirmed that there is no such thing.