24 Mar 2022

How are NZers feeling about removal of mandates?

From First Up, 5:35 am on 24 March 2022

Vaccine passes are to be scrapped, Covid QR codes torn up, outdoor gathering limits lifted and most mandates assigned to the history books because, the prime minister says, it's now safe to do so. But ... is it? Yesterday's announcement was met variously with delight, apprehension ... and fear, particularly by New Zealanders with disabilities, compromised immunities, underlying health conditions and other groups for whom a diagnosis of Covid-19 would be very serious indeed. In a moment we'll ask the Deputy Prime Minister, Grant Robertson, whether they're right to be worried. But first, our producer Matthew Theunissen tried to find out how vulnerable New Zealanders feel about these safeguards being removed.