Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has also revealed the level of restrictions in place in Auckland now would stay in place and be reviewed again next Monday. Waikato and Northland would remain in place until 11.59pm on Thursday, pending a review of the situation in both areas on Wednesday.
Schools would not re-open in Auckland on October 18 and further public health advice would be issued next week. Distanced learning will recommence in term 4.
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Ardern said New Zealand has surpassed the US and Germany on first doses of the vaccine. Last week half a million doses were administered, and a record number of Maori turned out to get vaccinated.
Eventually vaccination rates would lead to more freedom and fewer restrictions, but these rates needed to get higher for that to happen, Ardern said.
Vaccine mandates
On vaccine mandates for the health and education sectors Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said there was already a mandate in place for workers at the border.
He stressed most people working in these sectors had already had at least one dose.
"But we can't leave anything to chance, so that's why we are making it mandatory."
"It wasn't an easy decision but we need to have the people who work with vulnerable communities who haven't been vaccinated to take this extra step."
"Exemptions may be possible under some circumstances."
Health sector
Anyone conducting high-risk work in the health and disability sector needed to be fully vaccinated by December 1.
“Under these new requirements, general practitioners, pharmacists, community health nurses, midwives, paramedics, and all healthcare workers in sites where vulnerable patients are treated (including Intensive Care Units) must receive their first dose of the vaccine by 30th October.
"These requirements also include certain non-regulated healthcare work, such as aged residential care, home and community support services, kaupapa Māori health providers and Non-Government Organisations who provide health services."
The full list would be provided in the next few days.
Education sector
From January 1, 2022, schools and early learning services and providers would need to maintain a register, and ensure only vaccinated staff and support people had contact with children and students. They needed to have their first dose by November 15
“This includes home-based educators, and all those support people in our schools and early learning services such as teacher-aides, administration and maintenance staff and contractors.
“Secondary schools and kura will also be required to keep a Covid-19 vaccination register for students. Students that do not produce evidence of vaccination will be considered unvaccinated."
Hipkins said all school employees in Auckland and other level 3 regions will be required to return a negative Covid-19 test before they can return to work onsite.
"Those who are not fully vaccinated in the period leading up to January 1, 2022, will also be required to undergo weekly Covid-19 testing."
“Work is continuing on whether mandatory vaccinations will be required in the tertiary education sector.”
Healthcare vaccinations 'will save lives'
The New Zealand Medical Association welcomed the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, saying it will save lives.
NZMA chair Dr Alistair Humphrey said the move would keep patients and healthcare workers safe.
“Today’s announcement will save lives. All doctors should be vaccinated, and we know the vast majority is. Principle 1 of the Code of Ethics for the New Zealand Medical Profession is that the health and well-being of the patient is a doctor’s first priority.”
Doctors and other healthcare workers are more likely to be exposed to Covid, Dr Humphrey said, and it follows that their patients - many of whom are debilitated or immunocompromised - are more likely to suffer serious complications if infected by the doctor.
“We called a month ago for all doctors involved in patient care to be fully vaccinated - we’re pleased the Government has come to the same view.”
Ardern on alert level decisions
In Waikato, more than 23,000 tests since the first cases reported on October 3 - which is 4% of the population.
Ardern said Waikato would remain at alert level 3 until 11:59pm on Thursday. Hipkins will confirm a move to level 2 if it is safe to do so.
"Thank you for getting vaccinated," Ardern said about the Waikato.
Ardern said in Northland, the Government has "pieced together what it can" from CCTV footage and police investigations.
Ardern said the Ministry of Health was working "very closely" with police about the case that travelled in Northland.
Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said making testing and vaccination more widely available in the area would help, and close contacts of the case will know who they are and should get tested, symptomatic or not.
Ardern said the Government knew who the second traveller in Northland was, but they could not locate them and the situation was "extraordinary".
"I feel the same frustration that everyone else feels," she said. "They are refusing to co-operate, it is beyond irresponsible, it is dangerous."
"Health and police are really pulling out all the stops," Ardern said.
Bloomfield said the person "is not travelling around Northland at the moment".
Police are looking at all options to locate the person, Bloomfield said.
Delta 'tough' to beat - Ardern
Delta is a different and more difficult opponent, Ardern said, and no other country has eliminated the outbreak. She said getting to zero cases in Auckland had been "very tough".
Restrictions were still important while vaccinations are underway, Ardern said. Last week she said safe and minor changes were made, such as going outside to see another household. But she said people do needed to follow the rules, and measures when followed "make all the difference".
She wanted to see the R value as close to 1 as possible, but it had increased in recent days and more cases will follow.
Today's cases
The number of unlinked cases in Auckland in the past 14 days has grown for six consecutive days. Today it is 58. The previous days it has been 49, 30, 26, 23, and 15.
There are no new cases in the Waikato today, and there were three new cases each on Sunday, Saturday and Friday - all linked to the initial case in Hamilton East.
There are no known cases in Northland, but there are six locations of interest including a motel, a hotel, a campsite, a dairy and two petrol stations.
The travelling companion of the positive case who went to Whangārei is still yet to be located.
This morning a number of health and youth experts, in an Otago University public health blogpost, called for a clear strategy to minimise any infections in school settings.
These included mandatory vaccination for all adults on school sites - and no on-site learning to start before 90% vaccination coverage for staff - regular staff testing, vaccination events in schools, and guidelines on ventilation, physical distancing and mask use.
Today the Ministry of Health reported 35 new cases - all in Auckland - 21 of which are unlinked.
Two staff members in North Shore Hospital have tested positive, following a positive case reported yesterday in a patient receiving treatment in the dialysis unit adjacent to North Shore Hospital.
Three staff members in Auckland City Hospital have tested positive for the virus.
