With the Covid-19 traffic light system gone, customers can now do their grocery shopping without wearing a mask. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that most restrictions would be removed from 11:59 on September 12.
Greg Hartford, Retail NZ Chief Executive told Morning Report on RNZ that the mandate drop was “tremendously good news” for the industry, as a large amount of aggression was building up from customers.
"My key message to everyone really is if you are heading back into the shops, please shop nice, remember to be respectful of others - both workers and other customers.”
Mask mandates have been dropped in England since January, and in the USA, they have not been a requirement on public transport since April. Scotland was the last country in the UK to remove mandates around April. Most of Europe no longer requires the use of masks either.
In Australia, masks are no longer required on domestic and international flights, but each state has varying requirements for public transport.
