by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:11 PM ET, Mon September 12, 2022
Government officials in New Zealand announced that most of the remaining coronavirus-related restrictions were lifted Monday.
According to The Associated Press, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that people will no longer be required to wear masks in supermarkets, stores, busses or planes, and tourists will no longer need to be vaccinated to visit the country.
The return to normalcy comes as the government abandoned the COVID-19 traffic light framework used during the pandemic and left in place two restrictions; people who test positive must quarantine for seven days and masks remain mandatory in health care facilities.
"The changes we've made today are significant. They mark a milestone in our response," Ardern told The AP. "This is a time when finally - rather than feeling COVID dictates what happens to us, our lives, and our futures - we take control back."
"This will be the first summer in three years when there won't be the question of: What if?" Ardern continued.
Individual workplaces and businesses are permitted to impose their own mask and vaccination rules, but experts expect mask use to drop following the end of government restrictions. Ardern believes the changes will "help drive business activity, which is vital to the nation's economic recovery."
Tourism New Zealand, the official destination marketing organization for the country, launched its first global campaign following its reopening, calling on international travelers to experience transformational tourism with the campaign "If You Seek."
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