We will have to live with Covid-19, Ardern says

Prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced the country would adopt a new system of living with coronavirus from 3 December, ending tough coronavirus measures and allowing businesses to operate in its biggest city.

New Zealand has been unable to beat an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19 centred in Auckland, forcing Ardern to abandon her acclaimed elimination strategy and switch to a system of treating the virus as endemic. Auckland, the biggest city, has been in lockdown for more than 90 days.

Under the new rules, most freedoms will be available to those who are vaccinated – including visiting restaurants, bars, hairdressers and gyms, even at the highest alert levels.