Aucklanders returned to nightclubs, cinemas and cafes on Friday as New Zealand’s biggest city exited pandemic lockdown after more than 100 days. Retailers threw open their doors to vaccinated customers as the country ended lockdowns and moved into a new ‘traffic light system’ that rates regions as red, orange or green depending on their level of exposure to Covid-19 and vaccination rates. Auckland, the epicentre of the country’s Delta outbreak, will start at red, making face masks mandatory and putting limits on gatherings at public places. Bars, nightclubs and restaurants can open to guests with vaccine certificates but with a … Continue reading Nightclubs, cafes and casinos reopen in Auckland as marathon lockdown ends

Germany’s national and regional leaders have agreed to bar unvaccinated people from much of public life in a bid to fend off a fourth wave of Covid-19. Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel described the far-reaching measures as an act of “national solidarity”. Only those who have been vaccinated or recently recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in restaurants, cinemas, leisure facilities and many shops. Vaccinations could be made mandatory by February, the chancellor added. Germany’s fourth wave of Covid-19 is its most severe so far, with another 388 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours. There is also growing concern about … Continue reading Germany puts major restrictions on unvaccinated