COVID-19 Red light Phase Two - do you have your Covid19 buddy and your Covid19 plan ready
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that New Zealand will move to Phase Two of the Omicron plan at 11.59pm on 15 February, when the period of home isolation reduces.
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New Zealand is stepping up its response to slow the spread of the virus. From 11:59pm on 15 February, the Government is introducing new measures to protect our health services and communities. Red traffic light settings remain in place.
Extract from RNZ article
Ardern says the increase in Covid-19 cases is not unexpected and the country will stay in Phase Two as long as daily cases remain between 1000 and 5000 cases.
There is no change to the traffic light system, and schools and businesses remain open, she says.
The move to Phase Two means the self-isolation period for cases reduces from 14 days to 10 days, and for contacts from 10 days to seven.
The period of self isolation also applies to household members.
"We've seen that 90 percent of household contacts who were going to test positive do so within those first 10 days, with Omicron”, she says, “so there are good reasons for the changes.”
She advises people to develop a self-isolation plan, including identifying a buddy who can drop off supplies.
She says as cases in the community increase, the government will not be able to provide a place for everyone to go into isolation.
However, if someone does not have their own accommodation - lives in their car, for instance - the government will ensure they have a place to recover.
Anyone experiencing symptoms that get worse during isolation - particularly breathlessness - is advised to call Healthline immediately.
Bloomfield says in Phase Two, contacts will also be followed up differently.
People will not be followed up or expected to isolate having been to a hospitality venue unless they were seated at the same table.
"We will be relying on people to notify the people who might have been at the table ... we won't necessarily be asking everybody in that cafe, including the staff, to isolate."
Ardern says the way to handle this period will be the same as previous times - test, vaccinate and isolate if sick.
"So we are embarking for the first time in the two years since the start of the outbreak into a period where New Zealanders will see more Covid in the community ... it will be nothing like we've experienced to date but our efforts with vaccination mean we have got to this place without the volume of serious illness and death that so many others experienced.
"And still as always be kind and respectful. I know there is Covid fatigue, but I also know that no one wants to let go of the freedoms we've gained from uniting and protecting one another. We need respectful discussion and tolerance as we navigate this next phase together."