After nearly four months, Aucklanders have emerged from lockdown as the country enters the new traffic light system.

Bars and some restaurants in Auckland opened their doors at midnight when New Zealand dropped alert levels and moved into the Covid-19 protection framework and gyms opened early today.

Auckland is in traffic light setting red with Northland, Taupō, Rotorua Lakes, Kawerau, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, Gisborne, Wairoa, Rangitīkei, Whanganui and Ruapehu districts. Everywhere else started the day in orange.

Vaccine passes come into play today and the Ministry of Health has been scrambling to manage the backlog of requests. It's been forced to grant an 11th hour exemption for 70,000 people having trouble getting one approved.

What the traffic light system is and how it works.

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