The South Pacific nation imposed harsh border restrictions
when the pandemic began, effectively banning tourists and requiring returning
residents to spend two weeks in a quarantine hotel run by the military.
At times, demand for quarantine beds has far outstripped
supply, causing some displaced residents to wait months for available slots.
For the first 18 months of the pandemic, the border measures
were considered vital in keeping New Zealand free from the virus.
But an August outbreak proved impossible to stamp out,
prompting New Zealand to abandon its elimination strategy in October.
Vaccination rates have also been rising, making the border measures
increasingly hard to justify.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the government
had made difficult trade-offs to keep New Zealanders as safe as possible
throughout the pandemic.
“We acknowledge that it has been very tough. Families have
been separated. People have found themselves having to shelter in places they
did not expect to stay for prolonged periods of time,” Hipkins said. “We are
acutely aware of the impact that these restrictions have had on individuals’
lives and their livelihoods.”
Under the government’s plan, all incoming travelers will
still be required to isolate themselves for seven days, at least for now.
Hipkins said it wanted to mitigate the virus risk posed by
incoming travelers by reopening the border in stages.
Fully vaccinated New Zealanders will be able to return from
Australia without staying in quarantine from Jan. 16 and from other countries
after Feb. 13. The door will then open in stages to tourists and other
travelers from April 30.
New Zealand is also removing a very-high-risk designation
from certain countries including Indonesia, India and Brazil, allowing people
from those countries to return or visit.
New Zealand announced earlier this week that bars,
restaurants and gyms can reopen in Auckland from Dec. 2, removing the last
remnants of a lockdown that began in the nation’s largest city in August.
It also signaled a new phase in New Zealand’s response to
the pandemic, in which people around the country will need to be fully
vaccinated in order to participate in anything from getting a haircut to
watching a concert.
About 69% of New Zealanders are fully vaccinated, including
84% of those aged 12 and over. New Zealand has reported just 40 coronavirus
deaths since the pandemic began.
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