New Zealand: Traffic light moving to orange

New Zealand is set to move to the orange traffic light setting from Wednesday, due to COVID19 restrictions, Chris Hipkins, Response Minister confirms.

Chris said that there were lesser people in the hospital, since Government last reviewed its settings. The patients and deaths both went down.

The Minister says, “We are coming off the peak and are now well on the other side of it.”

The setup is arranged in a manner that the gathering restrictions are removed when the light turns orange. People have to wear mask until the light is green.

But, in schools, the system is not made compulsory, rather they are encouraged to follow.

People will still have to wear mask while shopping, when the light is green. Yet, masks are not required for indoor events, when it turns orange.

Epidemiologist, Professor Michael Baker, urges the Government to reconsider and make compulsory for students to wear masks in schools, for the time-being.

The main difference between the orange and red light setting, is the limit for people gathering in indoor facility.

When the light is red, the indoor limit allows only 200 people at venues. While, at orange, there is no limit for people in indoor facility.

People can be maskless, and enjoy their time, without being far from each other.

There is no limit for outdoor gathering at any color.

Hipkins said that kids can enjoy their holidays with the orange light setting, so that the situation turns normal.

But, they will have to be careful in winters, as the light may turn red, due to the strength of pandemic in winter season.

He said, “While no-one can be certain of what is ahead, we can look forward to, I hope, school holidays with a little more normality.”

He said he wants to make everything clear before the season starts, so that they can avoid additional surge in the disease.

Infectious diseases’ expert, Michael Baker says that Auckland is safe to move to orange light setting, while the rest need to wait, until the situation calms there.

According to National Party leader, Christopher Luxon, the induced setting is a “confusion’ for the public, as they have to takes masks and avoid gathering at green, while the orange light represents the ease with the constraints.