New Zealand Orders Mandatory Vaccination for Health Workers and Teachers

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - New Zealand is making vaccination against the coronavirus mandatory for teachers and health workers, Minister for COVID-19 Response and Education Chris Hipkins said on Monday.

"Vaccination remains our strongest and most effective tool to protect against infection and disease, and we need as many workers as possible to be vaccinated to allow sectors to respond to the pandemic and deliver everyday services with as little disruption as possible. While most people working in these sectors [education, health and disability workforce] are already fully or partially vaccinated, we can’t leave anything to chance and are making it mandatory", the minister said in a statement.

This means that people working in the health and disability sector must receive both doses of their COVID-19 shot by 1 December, and their first by 30 October.

Those who work at schools and early learning centres are required to receive the first shot by November 15 and be fully vaccinated by 1 January.

So far, 57% of the country's population have been fully vaccinated.