The National Party is calling for New Zealand to first end lockdowns then reopen to the world based on two vaccination targets.

The party’s plan, which it says has been thoroughly vetted by experts – who would not be named publicly – includes three “pillars”.

The first pillar includes 10 actions for boosting New Zealand’s response, the second is a 70-75 percent vaccination target for ending lockdowns and the third is an 85-90 percent target for reopening to the world.

The strategy aims for “vigorous suppression” of Covid-19, while accepting that elimination of the Delta variant and other strains like it may not be possible.

Announcing the plan this morning, National leader Judith Collins said the government’s Covid-19 strategy had been largely successful, but it had taken its eye off the ball this year.

She said the planned trial of at-home isolation was not a plan, “it’s an insult, Kiwis have done the hard yards”.

“Delta is here, it may not be possible to eliminate it, and it would almost inevitably arrive into the community again. Whatever happens, we need to reopen to the world and National’s plan outlines how we can do that.”

She said the government was being invited to just go ahead and use National’s entire policy.

“We want New Zealanders to be able to come home and we don’t want families to be split.”

She said the current MIQ booking system was outrageous, and some people were unable to access some of the health treatments – including for cancer – they needed.

National’s Covid-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop said the third pillar in the plan of reopening would reunite families and allow New Zealanders to travel overseas, boost tourism and international education, and “end the depressing and outrageous human lottery that is the MIQ debacle”.

“Alongside the public health measures outlined in our plan, a milestone of 85 percent means we can manage Covid-19 coming through the border,” he said.

National’s 10 steps:

1. Supercharge the vaccine rollout

2. Order vaccine boosters

3. Upgrade our contact tracing capability

4. Roll out saliva testing at the border and in the community

5. Roll out rapid tests for essential workers and in the community

6. Create a dedicated agency, Te Korowai Kōkiri, to manage our Covid-19 response based in Manukau not Wellington

7. Build purpose-built quarantine

8. Launch a digital app for vaccination authentication

9. Invest in next-generation Covid treatments

10. Prepare our hospitals and expand ICU capacity

The first and most detailed step would target vaccinations towards South Auckland, Māori, and vulnerable populations, making better use of GPs, pharmacies, door-knocking in high-risk suburbs, and using vaccination in MIQ. -with inputs from RNZ