New Zealand Extends Mandatory COVID-19 Isolation as Rest of the World Moves On

A generic image of a person using a SARS CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test in Canberra, Australia, on Nov. 2, 2021. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The New Zealand government has decided to keep its current COVID-19 restrictions for mandatory seven-day isolation and mask-wearing in health settings for at least another two months.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that while the country will eventually reach a point of removing all COVID-19 restrictions, isolation rules currently helped to relieve pressure on the health system.