• Watch Live: Prime Minister gives post-Cabinet meeting update

Watch Live: Prime Minister gives post-Cabinet meeting update

The Government has announced stricter mask-wearing protocols at the red setting.

In a post-Cabinet press conference Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said face coverings will now need to be "actual mask", and stricter requirements have been set out for mask use at food and drink businesses, close proximity businesses, events and gatherings.

These changes will come into force in nine days.

The same exception for when people are eating, drinking or exercising still apply. The changes also do not apply to non-public facing workplaces, swimming pools, and gatherings where you have exclusive use of the premises.

However, she said face coverings must now also be "an actual mask". 

"That means no more scarves, bandanas, or as some of us may have seen from time to time, t-shirts pulled up over the face, for example."

All workers legally mandated to be vaccinated must also now wear a medical-grade mask, for example, type 2R or level 2 mask or above, while working in public-facing roles. This includes the widely available blue medical grade disposable masks.

School students Year 4 and up are already required to wear a mask. For consistency, they will now need to wear a mask while on Ministry of Education-funded school transport services and public transport.

She said the science has been updated and these changes will "help save lives" and give time to get more of the population boosted.

Ardern confirmed the Government intends to use a 'test to return to work' approach where workers will be able to use proof of a negative rapid antigen test to return to the workplace during their required period of isolation. This will minimise the impact on critical infrastructure, she said. 

"For now, though, PCR tests are best."

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