Emily Henderson: Vaccine pass needed to fully enjoy freedoms of traffic lights system

Whangārei MP Emily Henderson, seen here helping with the drive-through vaccination in the city, is urging people to get vaccinated if they want to take advantage of the Covid-19 Protection Framework traffic lights system.

OPINION:

When the border with Auckland comes down on December 15, many Whangārei-ians will be keeping eyes peeled for loved ones finally coming north.

Whangārei hospitality and tourism businesses are watching too, hoping for a summer boost in customers.

We knew with the much-more-infectious Delta strain, we had to change tack and lock down to avoid much worse heartache, but there's been a lot of people missing people in Whangārei over the past few months. However, having bought ourselves the time to ready our defences by increasing vaccinations, we're now entering a new chapter of our Covid response.

While not everyone has yet decided whether to vaccinate, and our job isn't done until everyone has had the chance, with Whangārei Hospital treating its first Delta patients and cases already in Ruakākā, Waipū, Onerahi and Hikurangi, now is the time to change strategy.

The new Covid-19 Protection Framework traffic lights system, with its vaccination requirements and safeguards to prevent the worst impacts of the virus, has been designed to carry us safely through the next stage. It will ensure people are protected while we carefully reopen.

Cabinet has decided that Friday, December 3, will be the first day we move into the Covid Protection Framework (also known as traffic lights system).

Northland will initially move into the red or orange settings, the highest levels of protection. This level will be decided based on vaccination rates and community cases on November 29.

You'll need your vaccine pass as proof of vaccination to do many of the things you love – like going out to bars and restaurants, getting a haircut, or working out at the gym. I don't want anyone in Whangārei to miss out on anything, so if you haven't yet been vaccinated, I strongly encourage you to take that step now. To then get your vaccine pass, go to mycovidrecord.health.nz or call 0800 222 478.

When the Auckland boundary opens on December 15, we will also have an initial month's extra safety net until January 17.

It will no longer be necessary to show a special reason for travel, but all travellers will need a valid vaccination pass or negative pre-departure test to cross into Northland. After this, there will be no boundary around Auckland.

Overall, New Zealand is on track to one of the highest vaccination rates in the world: 90 per cent fully vaccinated by next month.

Here in Northland, almost 84 per cent of people have had their first "dot". That is an amazing response, and one to be proud of.

Many less-vaccinated countries who recently removed restrictions are now putting them back in place as they face a surge in fourth and fifth waves. We're entering this new phase better placed than many other countries, with high vaccination rates, a strong economy, and far fewer hospitalisations and deaths. Our approach so far has served us well.

We're making a significant shift now, but we have a plan. You can plan, too: get vaccinated, get your vaccine pass, and keep following health guidance.

This has been a tough period but now, as we look ahead, we have huge opportunities ahead of us because of the work we've all done to slow the spread. Thank you for everything you've done to get us to this point. Let's move forward, carefully, and together.

• Emily Henderson is the electorate MP for Whangārei. She can be contacted at Emily.HendersonMP@parliament.govt.nz .