With vaccine mandates for many workers lifted in under two weeks and QR code scanning soon to be a thing of the past, RNZ took to the streets of Ōtautahi to find out what people thought of the Covid-19 changes.
Scanning of QR codes will end on Saturday, and indoor gathering limits lift to 200 under changes to the traffic light system. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Anita works in the wedding industry and is over the moon at the changes.
"I'm pleased that weddings can now have larger numbers because it was impacting on so many in the industry.
"A lot of people were just ... ready to get back to normal life."
Read more on the Covid-19 changes:
- What you need to know: Key changes for scanning, vaccine passes and mandates
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces changes to traffic light system, mandates
Small business owner Vivek hoped getting rid of vaccine passes would bring back the buzz to the empty city centre.
"It's good for restaurants and everybody for more people to start coming in. They can feel free, people who didn't take the vaccine, can feel free to go out."
Alysia thought tensions created by the vaccine mandates should now ease too.
"It is a good thing.
"I think there's not that many people left that actually don't have the vaccine, but for those few people who were told at the start that they could still do everything that now can't do everything, it will be good for them, and everyone that was protesting for it.
"They've got what they wanted so hopefully it brings a bit of peace back to New Zealand."
Some of the changes are coming in sooner than others.
From this weekend sports, concerts and other outdoor gatherings have no limits on the number of people who can attend, something health worker Maddi is looking forward to.
"It will be good just to, like, go back out," she said.
"I'm a lot younger so I like going out and going to festivals and all those sorts of things and town... ut it will be better once all [the restrictions] are lifted so we can go out [to the events] instead of them always being cancelled or rescheduled."
Not everyone is thrilled.
It was all too little too late, a bartender who did not want his name used said.
"It doesn't change anything, no, because it's still not full capacity, it's still not enough money and they still don't reduce the leases, they still don't do anything.
Another bartender, Will, was more upbeat.
"I'm pretty excited to get back to the way things were - more business, more people out and about... I mean, we'll be able to open up late nights potentially, like Fridays and Saturdays, have a DJ in, a big party on. I'm really excited for that."
Many, like Gisborne visitor Daniel, were a little cautious.
"It probably needs to happen but as long as people are sensible about it and don't get too silly and, you know, throw big wild parties.
"It's just slowly but surely and I think it will all come to fruition. And hopefully, yeah, hopefully it all works out."