The Government has decided to pause the trans-Tasman bubble for “at least” two months, starting 11:59pm tonight (Friday).
New Zealand citizens in Australia, as well as people who normally live in New Zealand but are currently visiting Australia, are being given seven days to return home.
In other words, they have seven days to get back, before the requirement for them to try to book a spot in managed isolation will kick in.
The rules are different for people who have been in New South Wales over the past 14 days. They will need to go into managed isolation even if they return within the next seven days.
People returning from Victoria in the next seven days will need to self-isolate until they receive a negative day-three test.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assured the Government would work with airlines to bring people home if demand isn't met in the next seven days.
“The delta variant has materially changed the risk profile," Ardern said.
“COVID has changed, and so we must.”
Ardern said Immigration New Zealand staff are being sent to Australia to check those travelling to New Zealand have in fact had pre-departure tests done. To date, proper checking hasn't happened.
She noted New South Wales recorded 136 new cases of COVID-19 today. These weren't all linked to known cases.
Ardern also made the point that states covering half of Australia’s population (New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia) were already subject to travel pauses before the decision to completely suspend the bubble was made.
She said around 200,000 people had travelled between New Zealand and Australia since the bubble was established.
Ardern said restrictions were "absolutely" required to stamp out the delta variant. She repeated her view that a strong health response to COVID-19 is also the best economic response.
Here is more information from the Government:
Managed return green flights, without a requirement to enter MIQ, will be facilitated for travelers in low-medium risk states from 11.59pm on Friday 23 July to 11:59pm on Friday 30th July initially.
Travellers from Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, ACT and Norfolk Island, can come home on a green flight subject to the below public health criteria:
- A negative pre-departure test, taken within 72-hours of their intended travel to New Zealand.
- Have not been in a location of interest in the past 14 days.
- Are not symptomatic at the time of travel.
- Are not a contact of a COVID-19 case.
Eligible people from Victoria or travellers from other states/territories who have been in Victoria can return provided they also:
- Adhere to lockdown measures in Victoria
- Self-isolate upon return to New Zealand and get a test at day 3
- Travel to the airport wearing facemasks and by safe travel, ie, not public transport.
Eligible people from New South Wales will continue to return on existing managed return flights. Returnees on these flights will be required to enter a managed isolation facility for at least 14 days on arrival in New Zealand.
Travel on all such flights will be limited to:
- New Zealand citizens and holders of residence class visas;
- Holders of temporary visas and Australian citizens, who last departed New Zealand after 5 April 2021;
- Holders of current permanent residence visas (including a resident return visa) issued by the Government of Australia who last departed New Zealand after 5 April 2021; and
- Relevant family members of people listed in the above categories. (Relevant family member means: a spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner, a dependent child; or a parent of a dependent child. Parent, in relation to a dependent child, means a person on whom the child is dependant).
All travellers are asked to monitor themselves closely for any COVID-19 symptoms after arrival in the country and to diligently keep contact tracing records using the NZ COVID Tracer app or another form of diary.
Likewise, anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should stay at home, get tested, and remain in isolation until a negative test result is returned.
For more information, visit Unite Against COVID-19: https://covid19.govt.nz/travel/quarantine-free-travel/australia/
135 Comments
Not blaming the government for Delta Variant. Just for lack of a plan to manage risk and some way out of this mess. Australian vaccination rate 29%. Australian media "Australian Vaccination Shambles". Scott Robinson forced to give national apology. New Zealand Vaccination rate 19%. New Zealand media "Government ahead of vaccination targets".
Just for lack of a plan to manage risk and some way out of this mess.
This is their plan. They said all along the bubble could be closed at short notice if there was uncontrolled community spread and that it was "traveller beware". Note that the bubble and the guidelines for it were announced before the world truly knew the threat posed by delta.
You should be annoyed at the NSW government, not the NZ government.
Australian vaccination rate 29%.
11.8% of Australians are fully vaccinated.
New Zealand Vaccination rate 19%
12.8% of New Zealanders are fully vaccinated.
Australia are only at 75% of their plan. We're at about 106% of our plan, hence why the Australian media are saying their plan is a shambles, and the NZ media are saying we're ahead of our vaccination targets - because we are factually ahead of our targets. You'll note there's also a lot of media commentary about NZ vaccination programme being too slow.
Maybe Australia's plan is a bit more ambitious than ours. They have administered 10.5 million doses in about the same time as we have done 1.5 million. One dose of any of the approved vaccines provides a hell of a lot more protection against symptoms, hospitalisation and death than no dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The 100% reliance on Pfizer was the governments call. A cynic might think it has the added bonus of giving them a big pharma whipping boy to blame for the slow roll out. Earlier this month the single dose J&J Vaccine was Medsafe approved. The only other vaccine approved for now. Dose not take a rocket scientist to figure out that J&J will be added to the roll out for group 4. Once we finally have the infrastructure built and the people available to administer the vaccine at scale. That is the only way the government has a shit show of making the end of year target.
But they only have only said that everyone will have been offered a chance to be vaccinated by end of 2021. Like now they offer every one a chance of a place in MIQ. But you just can't book one. Maybe some enterprising techies will design some code to allow you to book a vaccination without spending a day refreshing the website. But the website hasn't been turned on yet. Who knows. It might actually work and be user friendly.
He is talking about MIQ, It's virtually impossible to get a spot. NZ government has abandoned the Kiwi's overseas. Nearly every country help's there own Citizens back. Our government is disgusting, they spend more time on so called righteous babble than safely getting their own people home. If they really wanted to they would of made the system robust and made more spots. So many are stranded overseas and suffering.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-track… is as close to any for an accurate measure of testing -- certainly teh NZ figure is the same as on the MOH covid website yesterday.
be prepared to get a sore finger scrolling down to NZ - just below Grenada and just above Brunei -- Tragic really given our health system and government had all the advantages of being covid free - that our rates are a laughing stock -- a cynical person would think that we simply arent trying hard enough
interesting that we are tracking above our own target -- which shows the lack of aspirations our government have - unlioke the 100,000 extra homes - reduction on poverty and 30% reduction in prison population for example - now being at 13% after 6 months is considered above target !
.. you're correct , Rex ... it is a frigging shambles .... I'm hearing these Covid announcements several times an hour on the radio ... and I get it , it's important to be vaccinated when the call up comes ... but , where the bloody hell are they ... my 93 y.o. Mum has just been notified ... for a mid August jab ! ... Jacindas mob couldn't organise a piss up in a pub ...
There are many but here is one: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/07/08/1013794996/why-the…
for a contrary view
Watched the summary and he's trying to say there is no variant. He's saying the variant is used "by the establishment to create fear and change policies".
Why then was Sydney able to have a light lockdown last year with as much success as NZ and now they are having so much more trouble containing it?
Finally he says there is no virus... Why have people been dying over there?
It's good to find and explore alternative views on things and to test ideas. But just because something is alternative to what is said in the mainstream news doesn't make it true.
its a good call but at least a week late maybe more -- given their reason is the delta varient is more transmissable -- stands to reason they shoudl be going harder and earlier -- like teh day after the first case appeared in the community with no explanation or border connection !
Having the bubble open at all with very virulent strains and no way to manage or check everyone coming into the country before vaccinating the extremely vulnerable NZ population would have to be the stupidest decision based only on greed not good medical sense. A simple check of even the pre travel covid tests (where the pp cost was over $100) was not able to be managed by this govt. They literally have these people pass through the security gates fronting up to border workers and they couldn't even ask or look at the paperwork behind most of them leading to many NZ border faults.
Exactly, and I note they didn't leave this one on the boil over the weekend like they did with the initial outbreak in NSW a couple of months ago. The situation changed so they changed their approach. Isn't that what we want them to do when it comes to risk management?
For example. The rule was that if you had been anywhere in Australia for more than 72 hrs you needed to have a pre departure test.
Hipkins said on Wednesday there was a “better than even chance” someone coming in would have their test checked, and infringement fines were being levied to encourage people to get tests.
“Every day we are looking to see how we can get more checking happening,” Hipkins said.
So translated. We only want to deploy the resources to check 50% of arrivals. So roll the dice and save yourself the $200 for a test.
If you get caught out you might get a fine. You might get sent home and told to isolate. If you are really unlucky you get sent to MIQ.
If you actually happened to have Covid (no one knows when you are at the airport) and were of a non compliant disposition and you didn't get sent to MIQ. Then what?
WestieAJ,
What an idiotic statement. There are many things for which this government can be rightly criticised, but the Delta variant isn't one of them. Shutting down the bubble is precisely the right thing to do, or are you in the Boris camp?
I see lots of posts here saying how appalling the government is, while out in the real world, most people actually support this government as the Ipsos poll so clearly showed.
What nonsense, the reality of a lockdown which I'm in right now. I have been locked down in SE Asia for two months. What is actually happening, The Delta strain is increasing regardless of the lockdown. People are breaking, suicides', depression, domestic violence, crime surging, hunger. For you righteous who blame other nations for not locking down...Society is breaking! So easy to judge when your not in it the situation. There must be another way than continuous lockdowns, because it's not working against Delta.
Tell me do you really believe a population which is 20 Million or more can lockdown so long? At sometime people just need to vaccinate and open up. NZ is a different story as so isolated and has no close neighbors, illegals pouring in and can choose to stay locked down.
WestieAJ
"Boris isn't perfect". That's like saying that Trump has a few minor character faults. Boris and his cronies are appalling liars. Now, having made a disastrous Brexit deal, they are 'demanding' that the EU renegotiate it because it's too hard. Remember all these commercial fishermen who were enthusiastic Brexiteers? They are not smiling now. Brexit is a shambles.
Great news. About a week late. Given Delta, the only sensible thing to do is close the boarders down far tighter than we have in the past until we are all vaccinated. The risks are just too high and I am sure there are a whole bunch of risks that we are not fully aware of now. The unknown knowns and unknowns
That is a very good and serious point. If NZ should reach say 70% immunisation of its population, the balance being refusers and unables, would still provide sufficient numbers to overwhelm our hospital services. As you say RSV unfortunately proves that point only too well. In this regard the government certainly has a conundrum on its hands. Vaccinated people are going to want to travel, there will be much disquiet and protest if they are prevented from doing so. Unquestionably that will lose votes.
Indeed, it is quite a quagmire. I imagine that once our vaccination rate is past 60% the govt will not opt for the necessary level 4 lockdown once delta slips in which it inevitably will. We will probably sit at level 2.5 for 6 months as the virus works its way though the population & the govt will just blame non vaccinated & non mask wearing people for the damage the virus causes. Politically this is the best option for the govt anyway.
Delta is so infectious that basically you get the vaccination or you get delta.
I suspect once delta is circulating in the community and deaths start occurring, there will be a little up tick in vaccinations as the anti-vax realise TINA, and that their friends and family that have had the vaccine haven't had terrible side effects.
So even open travel with our closest neighbour could not be sustained, it was dodgy throughout anyway. What does that then suggest for the possibility for travel beyond Australia? And the answer folks lies in the question of vaccinations because either NZ stays in virtual self isolation for eternity or the government opens the borders once the population has a sufficient degree of immunisation across the board. What will they do? Don’t think they have any idea at all actually, but guess time will tell.
What will they do? Don’t think they have any idea at all actually
They have an expert advisory group considering this right now. No doubt the plan will have several potential tracks, depending on how COVID goes globally, whether it recedes, stays constant, or worsens due to new variants or vaccine failures.
China will have it's hands full managing it's own border with Myanmar. China has supported the military coup there and the Burmese generals are showing that they too couldn't manage their way out of a paper bag, never mind control a pandemic. Throwing doctors into jail because they are speaking out. Does that have a familiar ring to it? So an own goal by China.
The EU and the USA do not recognise the Chinese vaccine as being effective, hence vaccination with Sino-vac equates to not being vaccinated. Why would you want to go to the den of COVID-19 with a track record of disinformation, obfuscation and essentially zero vaccination?
xing,
Country after country is finding out just how ineffective Sinovac really is. The last thing most people here want is hordes of poorly vaccinated Chinese, or even well vaccinated Chinese.
Unfortunately for our economy, I believe that we will come to regret our dependence on China as our main export market.
So gutted, I was supposed to be sailing in the whitsundays in 2 days... and another massive knee jerk reaction from the government. I understand shutting down NSW and Victoria and maybe SA, but really, Qld, NT, WA Tassy - where is the risk ? We need to learn to live with this. Bubble NZ is wearing very thin.
How is going to QLD selfish, and floating around on a boat for a week. You would have some validity if it was NSW. We have to learn to live with it, its becoming clearer and clearer we cant beat it, locking yourself in the cupboard with your worry beads cant go on forever
The lockdowns however are not working. I'm in a lockdown over 2 months, delta is still spreading. Suicides', domestic violence, crime, depression, hunger are surging. Bigger populations can not lockdown for so long. The time is to get there hospitals and vaccinations up to speed. It's a like pissing against the wind to stop it spreading. The outcome of longer lockdown is society breakdown. Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. However I want to choose how to live the rest of my life and it isn't locked down and afraid all the time. I'm all for vaccinations but forever lockdown aren't science.
Surprise surprise. They already had a plan for that.
However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed there was an avenue the Wallabies might be able to utilise to travel to New Zealand.
Courtesy of an economic impact exemption, they could travel to New Zealand within the seven-day window returning Kiwis can utilise, potentially remaining in the country for an extended Rugby Championship stint, which could result in the All Blacks hosting all three Bledisloe tests.
Focus group says don't mess with the All Blacks. Tick.
Alongside that though is the questionable capability of the MoH. This government, and I believe a National type government would have found it no different, has copped a lot of flak that has arisen from mistakes, mishaps and contradictions that can be sheeted home to the MoH. For instance the almost fateful decision not to quarantine rest homes etc early, the reprehensible attitude to not carry out the Minister’s instruction re testing frontline border staff, but to say that they were. And to be fair to this government they have stayed loyal to that staff, and taken it on the chin. But it is not difficult to imagine that the parade of such events has caused quite some loss of confidence and they cannot but factor in those concerns with a view to how well an outbreak might be managed and contained,next time. Best to close the door and not let the threat in then.
A Trans Tasman Bubble should never have been even thought about until vaccination was >70%. Pour every resource into vaccinating the population, then celebrate by opening a bubble with a hugely reduced risk exposure. I know there was a lot of pressure to open the bubble but the focus HAS to be vaccination to get ahead of this virus.
I think its getting almost impossible to find the actual truth out there now. Careful who you label idiots, some of us prefer to have ALL the information out there so we can make an informed judgement. When you start to get information censored to fit only one narrative we are in trouble. Perhaps have a look at this. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/inventor-of-mrna-technology-removed-f…
very credible source
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/gay-conservatives-you-can-learn-from…
Seems God couldn't save you- hit by a lighting strike
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/notice-lifesitenews.com-will-be-under…
The UK dumped a few $bn into funding research early in 2020, that included setting up local production and pre-purchasing vaccines from various companies they where front of the queue. We didn't even sign a deal with BioNTech/Pfizer until they announced a working vaccine ready for production in October last year and even then it was only a small batch, the contract for enough to cover the country was signed in March this year. We snoozed and we lost our opportunity to be early recipients.
Incidentally I note that UK Covid-19 cases appear to be falling again over the last few days now despite the end of most restrictions. They might have turned a corner?
Fair enough, government need to play for time until November when the'll have the vaccine program finished. They'll want to give everyone who wants the vaccine the opportunity to have one.
However I'm also looking forwards to the subsequent freedom to see family, travel, tourism to return and New Zealands international business to rebound.
Good morning Jenee
Perhaps you would shed some light on a question I've been pondering:
What is the net benefit to NZ from international tourism?
I understand the NZ unemployment rate is relatively low at +/-4.7% and the government revenue take is continuing stronger than budgeted.
My gut feeling based on the understanding that tourism was the #1 export earner pre-covid, was that unemployment and tax take would have taken a massive hit.
I'm wondering whether the tourism sector, although attracting high income, had low profitability, hence low contribution to national tax revenue?
Just curious.
Thanks
Absolutely we will be in lockdown in the next two weeks. I made a prediction in April that in October the reserve bank will offer accounts to the public for their CBDC. No interest rate rises and the banks will be allowed to collapse. The central bank will honor deposits and you will pay your mortgage to them.
We will have one bank in nz as will all nations. Only diverse and green styles businesses will be allowed loans and you will need to tow the line.
So what are you proposing we should do ?
Open the borders to any T, D and Harry?
get the Delta variant spread like wildfire, healthcare overwhelmed, right in the middle of winter, babies dying because there is no spaces left for respiratory illnesses
Do you trust the current Muppets to manage the MIQ
Borrow more, (($trillion already) to get across over the line ?
If you think about it, the country of New Zealand is in it's own bubble lockdown. It will continue to be "locked down" from every global country for a long time. The Labor strategy is clear - eliminate at all costs. Their 'strategy' is to lock the NZ doors, throw away the key, noone can come in, noone can come out. Easy as.
Let's all enjoy another 3 years of zero travel!
Things not looking good in Aussie, the Muppets cannot pull their heads in and stay at home and are out in protest groups instead. I would say that the odds are now even they have lost control of the spread of the Delta variant. If the numbers continue to increase, even during a "Lockdown" then they are screwed.
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