From 11.59pm on Monday 4 April, vaccine passes will not longer be required. The Government will not require mandates in education, police or Defence Force workers and those workplaces using them.
A local business owner says ending the vaccine pass requirement will provide "more stability" while another says they are "so excited" to welcome back old customers.
Life will look a little closer to normal tomorrow as, from 11.59pm tonight, businesses will no longer have to ask customers to show avaccine pass.
At the same time, vaccination mandates for the education sector, New Zealand Defence Force and police workers will not apply.
This comes after changes to QR code scanning rules for contact tracing and gathering limits came into effect on March 24.
F45 Mount Maunganui co-owner Brett Taylor said a few members who left because of vaccine requirements have been in touch about coming back.
While he was glad to move back to some normalcy, he found the Government changes "confusing" without "proper explanation" given the restrictions were to ease the overload on the health system.
"I felt that New Zealand had done well in terms of slowing the spread… I think we need to consider the impacts [the changes] could have not only on business but as a nation."
He understood some places may still enforce certain regulations as a balance was needed to make sure everyone felt safe and comfortable.
Salon One receptionist and makeup artist Jade Heremaia said she and her colleagues were "so excited" for Tuesday.
"Our hearts are full," Heremaia told the Bay of Plenty Times.
"We're looking forward to welcoming back some of our customers and to opening on Sundays again."
Heremaia said Salon One was a one-stop-shop for their clients and the relationships they built by seeing the same faces on a regular basis were important to all the team.
"We don't just do hair. We do makeup, nails, and beauty. It's like a family."
Heremaia said the salon staff were looking forward to having their family become more whole again.
New Zealand Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois viewed tonight's move as a "positive step".
"Hospitality venues are also places we go to relax and enjoy ourselves," Bidois said.
"However, our venues are also places where people want to socialise with others, particularly in bars and clubs so the continued enforcement of seated and separated will continue to be a sizeable issue for the industry."
Bidois said the association asked the Government to consider a move to orange in the Covid-19 protection framework, providing financial support for hospitality businesses and incentives such as a subsidised dining scheme.
"I think we all want to see our cities returning to the vibrant urban hubs they were before the pandemic, so we are hopeful that the changes announced [on March 23] will build consumer confidence and herald the return of people into our venues."
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley. Photo / NZME
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley said businesses could welcome back customers and recruit staff without excluding people due to mandates.
This would be a "relief" for short-staffed and overworked teams.
Cowley said it was a challenging time as people were generally exhausted and losing patience with the impact of the virus, especially if juggling personal and professional pressures.
Employers would need to be creative, reorganise shifts, space out lunch breaks, and provide strategies for workers with health concerns about working close to unvaccinated staff, he said.
Nigel Tutt, chief executive of Western Bay of Plenty economic development agency Priority One, said with very low unemployment and talent shortages, employers, in general, would welcome anything that increased the availability of staff.
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt. Photo / Supplied
