With the beginning of Phase 3 of the government's Omicron response, new locations of interest will no longer be announced.
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Phase 3 of the Omicron response strategy began at midnight, and one of the biggest changes will be for those who have been checking locations of interest over the last two years.
Visitors to the ministry website will find the list is no longer being updated. The last locations of interest were added Thursday.
The change was long signalled that when cases rose beyond the capacity to trace contacts easily, the locations list would wind down.
"With more people testing positive and hospitalisations rising, we are stepping up our response to Omicron," the Ministry of Health said on its website.
The MoH has announced that there will no longer be locations of interest. This account will remain active for the time being, just in case locations of interest return. Keep safe everyone ♥️https://t.co/jcbpXlRy0Q
— NZCOVIDBot (@nzcovidbot) February 25, 2022
Phase 3 is designed to help the health system handle an Omicron outbreak of several thousand new cases a day. Today's case number of 12,011 more than doubles Thursday's total.
Contact tracing and self-reporting will be key in the next phase of the Covid-19 battle.
"Using the NZ Covid Tracer app is still important," the Ministry stated. "It is a digital diary of where you have been, and will help you identify who you need to tell if you test positive for Covid-19."
