New Variant Not Stopping New Zealand’s Reopening Plans

Police inspect vehicles at a road block on the outskirts of Auckland, New Zealand, on Sept. 30, 2021. Michael Craig/NZ Herald via AP

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—The emergence of the omicron variant has not changed New Zealand’s plans to ease restrictions in Auckland and move the nation into a new, more open phase of its pandemic response, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday.

Bars, restaurants, and gyms in Auckland can reopen from late Thursday, ending a COVID-19 lockdown that began in August.