Dear John --



Today, National released our plan to tackle COVID-19, end lockdowns, and reopen to the world.



Our plan outlines a pathway to avoid nationwide lockdowns and then allow most fully vaccinated travellers to and from New Zealand to travel much more easily, either without any isolation at all, or with seven days at home.



Click here to read our full plan. <[link removed]>



National’s plan would also reunite Kiwi families split apart overseas, allow New Zealanders to travel overseas for business and pleasure, boost tourism and international education, and end the outrageous human lottery that is the MIQ debacle.



Our plan is split into three pillars:



Pillar One: Invest



It is an outline of ten steps that we need to take urgently to respond to COVID-19 and to set ourselves up to begin to reconnect to the world. These steps will help us evolve our response away from lockdowns and help us reconnect to the world. They give us options and choices about the future.



The ten steps are:



- Supercharge the vaccine rollout

- Order vaccine boosters

- Upgrade our contact tracing capability

- Roll out saliva testing at the border and in the community

- Roll out rapid tests for essential workers and in the community

- Create a dedicated agency, Te Korowai Kōkiri, to manage our Covid-19 response based in Manukau not Wellington

- Build purpose-built quarantine facilities

- Launch a digital app for vaccination authentication

- Invest in next-generation Covid treatments

- Prepare our hospitals and expand ICU capacity



You can read more on these steps on pages 9-33 of our full plan here <[link removed]'s_plan_to_tackle_COVID-19__end_lockdowns_and_re-open_to_the_world.pdf?1632831001>.







Pillar Two: Evolve



It is all about doing what it takes to end our reliance on economically damaging and socially costly lockdowns. We have set a milestone of 70-75% of the population aged 12+ being fully vaccinated as soon as possible.



Modelling shows that once we get to that level, and including community response measures like those listed in pillar one, nationwide lockdowns are no longer needed. By itself, reaching this milestone as quickly as possible will have a demonstrably positive impact on New Zealand.



- Reach a 70-75% vaccination milestone.

- Pursue elimination without nationwide lockdowns.



You can read more on these steps on pages 34-35 of our full plan here <[link removed]'s_plan_to_tackle_COVID-19__end_lockdowns_and_re-open_to_the_world.pdf?1632831001>.







Pillar Three: Open



The third pillar of the plan is called OPEN. It is our pathway to reconnect New Zealand to the world. We have set a milestone of at least 85-90% of the 12+ population being fully vaccinated for this to happen, although we want to get as high a vaccination rate as possible. Vaccination coverage in the community of at least 85% plus community response measures (pillar one) means that COVID can be dealt with adequately and efficiently by our public health system.



- Reach an 85-90% vaccination milestone, with supplementary DHB and age-based milestones.

- Change to vigorous suppression strategy.

- Implement a traffic light travel system for travel to New Zealand, allowing New Zealand to re-open to the world.



You can read more on these steps on pages 36-42 of our full plan here <[link removed]'s_plan_to_tackle_COVID-19__end_lockdowns_and_re-open_to_the_world.pdf?1632831001>.









In the National Party, we believe fervently that our future lies as a small and nimble nation connected to the rest of the world. Our prosperity in the 21st century will depend on those global connections – trade, tourism, foreign investment, international education and more.



Many other developed countries are now re-opening, and we cannot sit in splendid isolation forever. We must take the steps necessary to turn our defensive success against COVID into an ongoing advantage. The sooner we can safely reconnect to the rest of the world, the better.



New Zealanders have done the hard yards. They have willingly followed harsh lockdown measures and other COVID-19 restrictions and, increasingly, they have been vaccinated for the common good. It’s time for them to be offered a vision and a plan about how their hard work will pay off. This is what National’s plan is all about.



Once we reopen to the world, the future is in the hands of New Zealanders. National will have more to say in the coming months about the opportunities being a world leader in COVID management brings. But to get there, we need National’s plan.



You can also view the launch of our COVID-19 plan on Facebook here <[link removed]>.



Kind regards



Judith Collins

Leader of the National Party



Chris Bishop

Spokesperson for COVID-19 Response







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NZ National Party - 41 Pipitea St, Wellington 6011, New Zealand

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