Public and private gatherings at Red

You can have a gathering at Red, like meeting friends, holding a wedding and attending a lace of worship, with My Vaccine Pass requirements and restrictions.

My Vaccine Pass

Gatherings can go ahead

Gatherings can go ahead at Red, with and without My Vaccine Pass requirements, but with different restrictions for each.

Under the COVID-19 Protection Framework (traffic lights), household bubbles do not exist.

Examples of gatherings that can go ahead at Red include:

  • catching up with friends and whānau
  • weddings and civil union ceremonies
  • most faith-based gatherings
  • get-togethers and parties at your home
  • club functions
  • social sports
  • funerals and tangihanga
  • most gatherings at marae
  • street parades
  • free public concerts in a park
  • community fairs

More information about funerals and tangihanga at Red

More information about marae at Red

With My Vaccine Pass

If a gathering chooses to follow My Vaccine Pass requirements, only people with My Vaccine Pass are allowed to be there. This includes workers.

Children under the age of 12 years and 3 months do not need to provide a My Vaccine Pass to enter places with a vaccination requirement.

  • At a gathering at your home or private dwelling, there can be up to 100 people.
  • At gatherings held at other venues, there can be up to 100 people based on 1-metre physical distancing in a single defined space at the venue at any time.

The limit applies to both indoor and outdoor venues. 

It includes children, but not staff.

Scan in or keep a record of where you go

Scan the QR code or keep a record of where you go. This will help with contact tracing for any cases in your community.

Without My Vaccine Pass

If a venue for a gathering chooses not to operate with vaccine pass requirements:

  • at a gathering at your home, there can be up to 25 people.
  • at gatherings held at other venues, there can be up to 25 people based on 1-metre physical distancing in a single defined space at the venue at any time.

They can be a mix of people with and without My Vaccine Pass.

The limit applies to both indoor and outdoor venues.

The limit includes children, but not staff.

Scan in or keep a record of where you go

Scan the QR code or keep a record of where you go. This will help with contact tracing for any cases in your community.

Advice for places of worship

  • Some religious rituals or practices need people to be close to each other — for example, a christening. Try to keep the time spent in close contact to a minimum.
  • Encourage contactless donations instead of a cash collection box.
  • You can have refreshments after a service, but people should not share drinks, cups, plates, cutlery or other items. You do not have to follow the advice for hospitality at any traffic light setting.
  • Places of worship should display posters or signage indicating they will be asking people to show their My Vaccine Pass to enter.
  • Consider offering online services so people who cannot attend in person can participate. This could be suitable for faith-based gatherings.
  • Singing, for example, choirs and other types of performance, can go ahead. Performers do not need to wear a face covering. Clean and sanitise musical instruments thoroughly before and after use.

Guidelines for places of worship [PDF, 306 KB]

Switching between My Vaccine Pass requirements

Locations and venues can switch between requiring My Vaccine Pass and not requiring it. This could happen in places such as funeral homes, places of worship or marae, where they have different groups entering the venue after each other.

If a location or venue chooses to switch:

  • there must be no mingling of groups
  • rooms should be well ventilated
  • high-touch surfaces, such as door handles, should be cleaned between groups
  • everyone, both staff and visitors, must be told what the My Vaccine Pass requirements are — whether My Vaccine Pass is or is not required.

Serving food and drink

You can serve food and drink at your gathering.

If your gathering is at a hospitality venue, for example at a licensed restaurant, you need to follow the hospitality advice.

If you have exclusive use of a hospitality venue, then you do not need to follow the hospitality advice.

Private homes and places of worship do not have to follow hospitality rules.

Hospitality at Red

Where you must wear a face covering at Red

Face coverings help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

There are some circumstance where you must wear a face covering:

  • on domestic air transport services
  • public transport
  • arrival and departure points of public transport services
  • retail
  • public venues/facilities (not swimming pools)
  • pharmacies
  • veterinary services and animal health and welfare services
  • courts and tribunals
  • specified social services
  • the public area of premises operated by NZ Post Limited
  • premises operated by a central government agency, a local authority, or NZ Police
  • anyone who is not a patient or worker of a health service other than pharmacies
  • workers (paid and non-paid) at food and drink businesses and services, including within events
  • workers (paid and non-paid) at close-proximity businesses
  • workers (paid and non-paid) at gatherings, excluding performers and formal speakers.

We encourage you wear a face covering whenever you leave your home, including at the gym, hairdresser, and at work.

At events, workers (excluding performers and formal speakers) and others are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings.

When to wear a face covering

Keep up healthy habits to protect us

Even though we are a highly vaccinated country, COVID-19 can still spread in our communities.

To slow the spread of the virus, and continue to help protect you, your whānau, and your community, it is important to keep up the healthy habits we know.

  • Regularly wash and thoroughly dry your hands or use hand sanitiser.
  • Sneeze and cough into your elbow.
  • Keep your distance from people you do not know.
  • Clean or disinfect shared surfaces often.
  • If you have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms, stay home and get a test.

Keep up healthy habits

More information for venues

Businesses can find more detailed information on business.govt.nz:

COVID-19 Protection Framework | business.govt.nz (external link)

When you are ready to check your customers' and visitors' My Vaccine Pass with the NZ Pass Verifier app, you can display these posters to let everyone know.

Download My Vaccine Pass posters

Last updated: at