New Zealand Drops Mandate
More proof protests work!
Well, the last diehards in the mRNA vaccine passport battle have just cried uncle
New Zealand has announced that they are ditching their vaccine passport mandate program for most businesses on April 4, 2022.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the QR codes, working mandates, and gathering size restrictions are over. Only health care workers and those who work with the elderly will be subject to a mandate.
Michael Plank, COVID czar for New Zealand said, “Vaccines are still hugely effective at preventing severe illness, but less effective at stopping people catching and spreading the virus. We now have increasing levels of infection-acquired immunity in the population. This means that allowing unvaccinated people into places like cafes and bars doesn’t substantially alter the risk of catching Covid there.”
Ardern claims after the fact that she was never a fan of mandates but wanted to get vaccination rates up to deal with Omicron which appeared to be futile. The government claims that it was the data, not the relentless protesting that changed her mind.
In the USA, most blue areas have decided to eliminate their vaccine passport system and even fully vaccinated/boosted White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tested positive twice for COVID in five months.
Now, US airlines are demanding that Biden remove the COVID mask mandate for travel.
“Now is the time for the administration to sunset federal transportation travel restrictions – including the international predeparture testing requirement and the federal mask mandate – that are no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment,” the CEOs of 10 U.S.-based passenger, wrote in a letter to President Biden.
“The persistent and steady decline of hospitalization and death rates are the most compelling indicators that our country is well protected against severe disease from COVID-19,” the letter adds. “Given that we have entered a different phase of dealing with this virus, we strongly support your view that ‘COVID-19 need no longer control our lives.'”
