Covid-19 update: 215 community cases in New Zealand today
Most fully-vaccinated travellers into New Zealand will not need to go through managed isolation from early next year.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris has been joined by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield who will have the latest on Covid-19 cases around the motu.
Watch the announcement here:
Hipkins said fully vaccinated New Zealanders will be able to travel from Australia without having to quarantine from 16 January. Foreign nationals follow from April onwards.
A mandatory seven day self-isolation period will still be in place for people not required to enter MIQ.
From 11.59pm on 16 January 2022, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers can travel to New Zealand from Australia without staying in managed isolation or quarantine, Hipkins says.
From 11.59pm on 13 February, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers can travel to New Zealand from all other countries.
From 30 April, fully vaccinated foreign travellers can travel to New Zealand. This will happen in a staged way, Hipkins said.
This will be one of the final steps in opening, he said.
Hipkins said New Zealand was now in a position to start moving back to normality, with a reminder that travel in 2022 will still be different.
Travellers will have to have negative pre-departure test, be fully vaccinated, a declaration of full travel history, test on arrival and at end of self-isolation period.
He said this announcement gives families, businesses, airports and others the time to prepare.
“It’s very encouraging that we as a country are now in a position to move towards greater normality. I do want to emphasise though that travel in 2022 won’t necessarily be exactly the same as it was in pre-2020 travel.”
Hipkins also revealed the ‘Very High-Risk’ classification for Indonesia, Fiji, India, Pakistan and Brazil will be removed early next month.
The traffic light system will come into effect for the whole country at 11.59pm Thursday 2 December.