Weekly Digest – 17 February 2022

NZ Moves to Phase 2 of Omicron Plan

The move to Phase Two from 11:59 pm on 15 February means the self-isolation period for cases reduces from 14 days to 10 days and for contacts from 10 days to seven. It also means the start of the test-to-return-to-work scheme, which allows critical workers to return to work if they return daily rapid antigen tests.

How to Travel to NZ with the New Self-Isolation Rules

New Zealand is set to open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from all over the world in five stages in 2022 . Unvaccinated Kiwis can also travel to the country but will have to enter managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) upon arrival. This article provides a step-by-step guide to planning a trip if you’re eligible.

Government Extends Events Transition Support Scheme

The government has extended its insurance scheme to give large-scale events financial certainty for another year. Originally due to run until 3 April, the Events Transition Support Scheme will now last until January 2023.

Minimum Wage Hike

New Zealand’s lowest-paid workers will get a minimum-raise in April. They will receive $21.20 per hour, while starting-out and training minimum wage will also be hiked to $16.96. This wage hike will directly benefit around 300,000 workers.

Home Sales and Prices Ease in January

Median nationwide house values were down 2.2% in January compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, the number of residential property sales decreased 28.6% in January, from 5,135 in January 2021 to 3,665.

BNZ Economists: Inflation to Hit 6.6% in Q1

Statistics New Zealand reported that food prices shot up 2.7% in January– the biggest monthly increase in 5 years. This prompted BNZ economists to raise their annual inflation pick for Q1 to 6.6% from 6.4% previously.

Manufacturing Activity Declines in January

The manufacturing sector saw a decline in the level of expansion in January, as the Bank of New Zealand-Business NZ’s seasonally adjusted Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) dropped to 52.1 from 53.7 in the previous month.