New Zealand announces efforts to keep the Omicron version at bay in Covid-19
In view of the threat posed by the omicron form of the coronavirus, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin told media that the government has decided to a "package of preventive measures."
In order to keep the omicron form at bay, New Zealand will shorten the time between second Covid-19 vaccination doses and boosters and postpone the progressive reopening of its borders.
In view of the threat posed by the omicron form of the coronavirus, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin told media that the government has decided to a “package of preventive measures.”
The time between the second vaccination injection and a booster will be cut in half, bringing the total number of immunized New Zealanders to 82 percent by February.
New Zealand’s strict border regulations so far have been successful in keeping #omicron from spreading in the community.
The only cases reported so far have been in travelers who are in managed isolation and quarantine.https://t.co/AuwGBMwcQ9
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) December 21, 2021
New Zealand’s stringent border rules have so far prevented omicron from spreading throughout the country. So far, the only incidences have been in tourists who have been placed in controlled isolation and quarantine.
“According to public health advice, every case coming into our border, into our maintained isolation facilities, will shortly be the omicron form,” Hipkins added. “We already know that booster immunizations dramatically increase an individual’s immunity, limiting Covid-19’s spread and severity.”
Travelers from Australia will be able to self-isolate from Jan. 17 instead of going through supervised isolation, which has been postponed until the end of February.
With New South Wales state in Australia “is anticipating to record 25,000 cases a day by the end of January,” Hipkins added, “opening the border in mid-January as planned just offers too big a danger at this moment.”