Jacinda Ardern lifts New Zealand’s last Covid restrictions and says ‘time to take back control of our lives’

‘This will be the first summer in three years when there won’t be the question of “what if”’

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has removed almost all of the country’s last remaining Covid-19 restrictions, calling for a return to normalcy for the first time in two years since the pandemic began.

From midnight on Monday, people will no longer be required to wear face masks in public places, although there will be a few exceptions including healthcare settings like hospitals and care homes, Ms Ardern told a news conference in Wellington.

Among other relaxations, New Zealand will be ditching its remaining domestic vaccine mandates – on health care workers – and foreign tourists will no longer need to be vaccinated in order to visit the country. Tourists will be provided free rapid flow tests at the airport and the government “recommends” they test themselves on arrival and after five days.