Evicting protesters from Parliament is a decision for police, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. 

While every New Zealander had a right to protest, there were also rule about what happened on Parliament's forecourt. 

"We would expect people to have behaviours that wouldn't disrupt others," she told reporters today. 

She described the protest as "certainly not the largest I've seen". 

Ardern said New Zealand was still at a point where Covid cases are low, but they will grow and the best protection will be a booster. 

Overseas we've seen unvaccinated people are causing wider impacts on health services, she said. 

The 90 per cent vaccination milestone has now been passed for Pasifika communities. 

Meanwhile the Government has announced today that workers in critical businesses will no longer have to isolate if they are identified as a close contact, providing they return daily negative rapid antigen tests. 

A new close contact exemption scheme to help keep critical supply chains running though Omicron has been announced by Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this morning. 

Businesses will self-assess against criteria to join the scheme. 

Close contacts who work alone can also continue to operate in a bubble of one such as farmers or sole traders including plumbers and residential builders providing they are also vaccinated. These guidelines applied to any workers, not just critical workers, and they were not required to return regular tests. 

The announcement comes as protesters continued to camp on Parliament's grounds for a second night despite being issued a trespass notice yesterday afternoon. 

Further arrests are happening this morning as police attempt to clear the area. Molesworth St is closed and some businesses in the area have also been unable to open due to the disruption caused by the protesters. 

About 40 police officers are at the scene and are speaking through the megaphone that the protesters are trespassing: "Please leave now," they can be heard saying. 

On Tuesday, Ardern said the Omicron outbreak was likely to accelerate quickly and peak in March and the plans announced today will outline how the Government plans to respond to growing case numbers. 

The comments came as forecasters estimated more than one million New Zealanders would be infected with Omicron and hundreds would die within the next few months. 

New Zealand is currently in the first phase of a planned three-stage response to the Omicron Covid-19 variant. 

Meanwhile, Auckland remains the epicentre, with more than 1400 active cases across the region's three DHBs. 

Covid-19 continues to spread around the country too. 

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health announced there were 204 new community cases of Covid-19. 

Community cases were reported in Northland (8), Auckland (135), Waikato (35), Lakes (2), Bay of Plenty (11), Taranaki (1), MidCentral (2), Wellington (3), Hutt Valley (3), Nelson Marlborough (1) and Canterbury (3). 

Counties Manukau DHB has the highest number of reported cases with 892, while Auckland DHB has 302 and Waitematā currently has 220. 

In total, there are 2209 active cases - which are cases identified in the past 21 days and who have not yet recovered. 

As cases grow in Auckland, 1218 Covid cases in the region are currently isolating at home. 

New Zealand is halfway through what the PM has dubbed the "big boost week" where an extra million people became eligible on Friday after the Government shortened the gap between vaccinations from four to three months. 

"Boosters are the most important determinant of how we will weather the Omicron storm," the PM said earlier this week. 

Immunologist Professor Graham Le Gros said Kiwis should not be scared about getting vaccinated and getting the booster shot in particular. 

Speaking to TVNZ's Breakfast show, he said the side effects being reported by those getting the booster shot - such as pain on the arm, lethargy, nausea and swelling under the arm - is not as bad as getting Covid itself. 

Le Gros said those reactions were linked to the body's immune system making an immune response. 

"It's not a bad thing and that's why I say: "Take some Nurofen or Panadol and you'll get through it much better." 

On the more serious but still rare side effects, Le Gros said heart palpitations or side effects related to the heart were more commonly associated with young men. 

The benefits of getting the booster shot far outweighed getting Covid-19, however, he said. 

"The vaccine is that right kind of immune shield." 

Meanwhile, two Auckland gyms were among the latest places to be identified as a location of interest on Wednesday night. 

F45 and Snap Fitness in Takanini were visited by an infected person over five days in early February. 

Anyone who was at these gyms during the specified time are considered close contacts and must self-isolate and get tested.