March 16, 2020: Mandatory self-isolation for all new arrivals, including New Zealanders into the country.
March 19: All non-residents or citizens are banned from entering the country under an international border ban.
March 25: Nationwide lockdown enforced, with only essential services allowed to open. At this stage, NZ has recorded 102 cases and 0 deaths.
June 8, 2020: Ardern announces no new community transmissions within the past fortnight and says NZ has eliminated transmission of Covid.
August-September 2020: Auckland’s 1.7million residents endure two months of lockdown measures after 4 new cases are initially recorded.
February-March 2021: Auckland re-enters lockdown as three new Covid cases are recorded in the community.
August 17: All of New Zealand re-enters Level 4 lockdown measures for two weeks as one new community case is recorded.
October: Traffic light system is created, barring unvaccinated residents from entering businesses, gyms and barbers in ‘red’ or ‘amber’ alert areas.
December: The Government delays the planned reopening of its border in February due to the spreading Omicron variant.
December 21: Length of stay for people in Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facilities increased to 10 days.
January 2022: Public backlash as major events and sporting fixtures are capped at a maximum of 100 people under Covid Red Alert measures.
January 18: Government postpones managed isolation and quarantine lottery due to increase in Covid cases.
January: Ardern announced she had cancelled her own wedding after nine new Omicron cases were recorded.
February: Government announces plan to open up country with New Zealanders and eligible travellers from Australia allowed to skip quarantine as long as they self-isolate for 10 days.
March 2: Vaccinated travellers entering the country no longer have to self-isolate on arrival.
May 2: UK travellers and those from other visa waiver countries allowed to enter country without self-isolating.
August 2022: New Zealand government to loosen restrictions to allow all travellers to enter the country provided they are vaccinated and take two rapid antigen tests after arrival.
