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New Zealand transitions to the COVID-19 Protection Framework at 11:59pm tonight. All parts of the country will transition to Red or Orange. A map is available on the Unite Against Covid-19 website. New Zealand is able to make this transition because our vaccination rates are on track to be some of the highest in the world. At Red and Orange under the Framework, many places will require people to show a My Vaccine Pass to enter. This includes hospitality venues, close-proximity businesses (like hairdressers) and gyms. My Vaccine Pass can also be used at events, retail businesses, gatherings, and public facilities. People who don’t yet have their My Vaccine Pass should sign up to My COVID Record at mycovidrecord.health.nz to download their pass. It can also be requested by calling 0800 222 478. Pharmacies and some vaccination centres are also able to assist people in getting access to their My Vaccine Pass. A list of participating pharmacies is available on the Healthpoint website. For fully vaccinated people, life at Orange will feel pretty close to normal. People will be able to go everywhere with their My Vaccine Pass. At Red, there will be capacity limits of 100 at some places. Everyone is encouraged to follow the new rules as we transition to the new Framework (traffic lights), including use of My Vaccine Pass where mandated. This will ensure we’re all kept safe, and businesses are able to remain open and operational. There will be a graduated enforcement model in place to support business compliance, with an emphasis on education first as businesses work out how best to implement new requirements. Police will focus on helping people understand what the changes mean through its education and engagement approach. People will still be able to report a breach of the rules at the Unite Against COVID-19 website. It is expected that there will be COVID-19 cases in communities around New Zealand. Fully vaccinated people are less likely to develop serious illness and less likely to be hospitalised. The new Care in the Community model means most people will be able to safely isolate at home. There is always a period of adjustment when changes are made to settings, and this will be the same with the move to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework.