New Zealand will stay at the red level of the Covid protection framework for at least another week and a half, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced at a press conference this afternoon.

The next review of the traffic light settings will be on Thursday April 14.

While cases are dropping in some parts of the country, including Wellington, Auckland and Tairāwhiti, Ardern said they are still increasing and plateauing in other areas - such as Canterbury, Waikato and Northland.

As such, Ardern said the advice of public health officials is that the country does not drop to the orange level of the framework.

“We are doing well, but we are still in a large Omicron outbreak in New Zealand. While we are moving in the right direction, we aren’t out of the woods yet,” Ardern said.

In the last fortnight, the rolling average of daily cases has dropped 36 percent, Ardern said - from 20,000 to just over 13,000.

Early data is also showing there has been an increase in people visiting public places and returning to workplaces in the last two weeks, she said.

Hospitalisations aren't expected to peak in some DHBs until mid to late April, Ardern said.

From midnight tonight, My Vaccine Pass is no longer required, but it remains an option for business and events who chose to use it.

Government vaccine mandates will also no longer be required for all sectors, except healthcare workers, prison staff and border workers. However, businesses may still choose to require vaccines if they wish.

Almost two weeks ago the Government announced some changes to the Red level restrictions.

Limits on outdoor gatherings were removed, and indoor limits doubled to 200.

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