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.
Get in touch
Contact us if you have any questions or want to discuss the next steps for your business.