One of the most tightly sealed countries during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic says it will hopes to fully reopen by October of this year.
According to CNTraveler, the government of New Zealand this week announced a five-step plan to fully reopen in time for their busy spring/summer season.
New Zealand closed its borders to most world travellers in March of 2020, and has hardly budged since.
Under step four of the government’s plan, visitors from Canada, the U.S. and other countries with waived visas will be allowed to enter beginning in July of this year, as long as they’re fully vaccinated and self isolate.
“Currently the isolation period upon arrival to the island nation is 10 days. Travelers will be given three rapid antigen tests, one to be taken on the day of arrival or first full day, a second to be taken on the fifth or sixth day, and a third as a backup,” CN Traveler said.
Ardern credited the strict border restrictions for helping the country avoid large-scale deaths, the Washington Post reports. But now, with the great majority of New Zealand’s 5 million people fully vaccinated, the prime minister said it was time to open up.
“It’s time to move,” Ardern said. “Now it is time to move forward together, safely.”
The final step is slated for October, when New Zealand will reopen to all visa categories, including visitor and student visas, the magazine said.
Officials cautioned that things could change. For example, officials said if New Zealand adjusted its self-isolation period from 10 days to seven, that same rule would apply to travellers.
Reuters reports that vaccinated New Zealanders in Australia can travel home from Feb. 27 without a requirement to stay at state-managed quarantine facilities, while New Zealand citizens in the rest of the world will be able to do so two weeks later.
