19 Oct 2021

Covid-19: Government backing providers to offer vaccine incentives - Jacinda Ardern

From Morning Report, 7:25 am on 19 October 2021

The Prime Minister says the government is providing support for those providers who choose to incentivise people to get vaccinated.

"We are we are funding and supporting providers who are providing incentives like that. And we have said up and down the country to providers, 'you do what works, we'll back you'." Jacinda Ardern told Morning Report.

Ardern said the government is now finalising work on bringing in vaccine certificates - and it will be clear that people who are not vaccinated will be affected.

"People have already heard us talk about, for instance, the use of vaccine certificates at festivals, we signaled at that time that we were going to use them more broadly than that.

"We are finalising that route, now it will be released on Friday. But it will become very clear to people that if you are not vaccinated, there will be things that you miss out on everyday things that you will miss out on."

Ardern said that would be both a reward for those who are vaccinated - and also keep people away from venues or settings where they could spread the virus.

But any system will not prevent those who are not vaccinated from accessing essential services.