New Zealand rules out lockdowns as it prepares for Omicron outbreak

Wellington Jan 20 (BNA): New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that restrictions would be tightened across the country if there was community transmission of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus but ruled out lockdowns.

Reuters reports that New Zealand’s strict controls and geographic advantage have helped it remain free of the Omicron variant in the community, although many cases have now been reported in quarantine facilities at the border.

Ardern told a press conference that a “red” traffic light will be imposed within 24 to 48 hours of Omicron arriving in the community, meaning masks will be imposed and there will be restrictions on public gatherings.

“When we have evidence of Omicron being dispatched in the community, we will not use lockdowns, instead the whole country will go to Red in 24 to 48 hours,” Ardern said, adding that Omicron would eventually arrive.

“We know from other countries that it can take 14 days for omicron cases to grow from hundreds to thousands,” she said.

About 93 percent of the New Zealand population over the age of 12 has been fully vaccinated and about 20 percent have received a booster shot. Ardern said more people should get boosters.

“International evidence shows that stimulant doses provide good protection against Omicron,” she said.

New Zealand’s borders have been closed to foreigners since March 2020 and plans to reopen in phases from mid-January to the end of February have been delayed for fear of an Omicron outbreak, as seen in neighboring Australia.

Arrivals are required to apply for a place in state-run quarantine facilities. The government this week stopped releasing any new time slots amid an increase in the number of people arriving with Omicron.

Ardern said there has been no change in plans to set the border for now.

MI