COVID-19: Traffic light travel system to be implemented

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The New Zealand government has announced it will implement a new traffic light system also known as the COVID-19 Protection Framework to categorize regions of the country.

Key Points:

• The traffic light system will categorize regions of New Zealand as “green,” “yellow” or “red” based on their risk for spreading COVID-19.
• Officials will consider factors such as vaccination coverage, capacity of the health system and the rate of the spread of COVID-19 to determine each region’s color status.
• Depending on the color of the region in question, travelers may not be able to enter certain areas without a vaccination certificate.

Additional Information: Officials have said the traffic light system will be implemented soon but have not provided an exact date. More information on the COVID-19 Protection Framework can be found here.

BAL Analysis: The new traffic light system is intended to be more flexible than the old system, allowing different regions to be classified at different risk levels. The system does not affect New Zealand’s border policy. Foreign nationals and residents must submit a border exception request to travel to New Zealand as an exception to current border restriction. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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