Update on masks

All mask requirements have been removed, except for visitors in certain healthcare settings.

You must wear a mask when visiting one of our healthcare services like hospitals, a doctor’s clinic, pharmacies, community/iwi health providers and aged care as well as disability-related residential facilities. For more information visit: https://covid19.govt.nz/.../face-masks/wearing-a-face-mask/

You can still pick up free medical masks (and P2/N95 masks for those at higher risk of severe illness). You do not need to be unwell or have COVID-19 symptoms. You still need to order through the Request free COVID-19 RAT kits website. For more information visit: https://covid19.govt.nz/.../face.../wearing-a-face-mask/...

Isolation requirements

If you test positive for COVID-19, you still need to self-isolate for 7 days. Start counting from Day 0, which is the day your symptoms started or when you tested positive – whichever came first. Household Contacts are no longer required to self-isolate.

Make sure to monitor yourself for symptoms for 10 days from when the first person in your household tests positive. As always, if you feel unwell or develop any COVID, cold or flu symptoms, stay home until 24 hours after your symptoms resolve and take a test. If you test positive you must self-isolate for 7 days.

You can find more information for Household Contacts here: https://covid19.govt.nz/.../contact.../household-contacts/

Vaccination requirements

You will no longer need to be vaccinated to enter New Zealand. People arriving in New Zealand from overseas will continue to receive free RATs at the airport and will be encouraged to test on day 0/1 and 5/6. You can find more information for preparing to travel to New Zealand here: https://covid19.govt.nz/.../preparing-to-travel-to-new.../

All remaining vaccine mandates will end except for health and disability workers. This will end on 11:59pm, 26 September 2022. A decision will be made within two weeks around vaccination requirements for all new and existing THINK Hauora kaimahi. 

Anti-viral Medication

Anti-viral medicines will be available for free to any New Zealander 65+ who tests positive for COVID-19. For Māori and Pacific peoples, these medicines will be available for free to anyone aged 50+ who tests positive. In addition, anyone with three high-risk conditions is eligible for free anti-viral medicines. You can find more information here: https://covid19.govt.nz/.../medicines-to-treat-covid-19/