Jacinda Ardern
© Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced changes to the country's COVID-19 restrictions.
Jacinda Ardern has announced sweeping changes to New Zealand's COVID-19 restrictions, axing the My Vaccine Pass and removing vaccine mandates in almost all industries.

Vaccine passes are being axed in New Zealand, with mandates being removed in almost all industries.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the changes on Wednesday as she unveiled the country's post-Omicron peak plan.

Ms Ardern said cases had decreased significantly in Auckland, with a decline expected across the nation by early April.

She added there had been more than 500,000 reported cases of COVID-19 in the country of five million, although "expert modellers say there have probably been 1.7 million actual infections".

"That figure, coupled with 95 per cent of New Zealanders being fully vaccinated, means we now have a high level of collective immunity," Ms Ardern said.

"New Zealanders have worked incredibly hard to get through this pandemic and as a result of those efforts we are now in a position to move forward and change the way we do things.

"First up we have simplified the COVID-19 Protection Framework to target restrictions at those activities that reduce transmission the most."

As part of the sweeping changes, New Zealanders will no longer have to prove they are vaccinated to enter venues covered under My Vaccine Pass from early next month.

"From 4 April, My Vaccine Pass will no longer be required by the Government meaning Kiwis will no longer have to be vaccinated in order to enter those venues covered by the Pass," Ms Ardern said.

"Scanning in requirements for the vaccinated will also end.

"We recognise that some businesses, events or venues may still choose to use vaccine passes, so we will maintain the infrastructure for them."

Changes to the vaccine mandates - which had sparked protests outside parliament in Wellington - will come into effect from the same date, with only some workforces still required to be vaccinated.

"From 4 April, vaccine mandates will be removed, except for health and disability, aged care, corrections and border workforces," Ms Ardern said.

"Like many other countries we are retaining a small number of mandates targeted at keeping our COVID-19 frontline staff safe and to ensure our most vulnerable, like those in aged care facilities or those with disabilities, are protected from the virus.

"I know for many this part of our defence against COVID-19 was one of the hardest. But mandates meant we reached the levels of vaccination needed to prevent the devastating outbreaks seen across the world."

New Zealand's traffic light system which has guided restrictions throughout the pandemic is also being overhauled, with changes to gathering limits and mask wearing.

"From midnight this Friday outdoor gathering limits will be lifted. We know being outdoors for gatherings is safe. We want to encourage that, especially at Red," Ms Ardern said.

"We also believe we can lift indoor gathering limits at Red with little material impact on hospitalisations, so these will double from 100 to 200.

"Orange settings remain broadly the same with no gathering limits but extra guidance on holding safe events, and a new requirement for workers to wear masks at indoor events."

New Zealand initially pursued a COVID-zero approach but that was abandoned in early October amid an outbreak of the Delta variant, with Ms Ardern at the time acknowledging "the return to zero is incredibly difficult".