New Zealand to gradually ease off border quarantine measures from Nov, says Minister

On Thursday, New Zealand announced that country's border quarantine measures, which have been among the strictest in the world throughout the pandemic, will be gradually eased off. While the changes would make it easier for New Zealanders who have been stranded abroad to return home, officials have not specified when tourists will be allowed to visit the country. COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins outlined that beginning next month, most people arriving in New Zealand will be required to spend seven days in a military-run quarantine hotel. He stated that the quarantine period has been reduced to seven days from earlier 14 days, reported The Associated Press (AP). 

According to the Minister, some new arrivals from low-risk Pacific island countries might be allowed to skip quarantine and isolate at home. He further stated that the new rules were the first step towards broader reopening measures that would be phased in after more than 90% of New Zealanders aged 12 and above were completely inoculated. So far, 72% of those who are eligible have received both shots. The new rules come following a rising uproar from New Zealanders who have been trying to return home but have been unable to secure places in the quarantine system. Some people have also taken legal action against this, reported the news agency. 

'New Zealanders and those with valid visas were given first priority' says COVID-19 Response Minister

"I reckon there is a lot of pressure. My message to the people who are keen to get back into New Zealand is: There is not very long to wait now. And encouraging their fellow New Zealanders to get fully vaccinated would help us get to that point faster," Hipkins was quoted saying by The AP. He also hoped that by the first quarter of next year, most new arrivals will be able to isolate themselves at home. "New Zealanders and those with valid visas were given first priority", he said. "Tourists provide a greater issue because they do not always have a place to isolate when they arrive. But we are working to find a way for that too," the Minister added. 

It should be mentioned here that more than 3 million tourists visited New Zealand each year before the pandemic, and the tourism industry was one of the country's top generators of foreign income. However, the stringent quarantine system helped New Zealand remain almost completely virus-free for more than a year after the pandemic began, allowing life to return to normalcy. Meanwhile, an outbreak of the more contagious Delta variant, which began more than two months ago in Auckland, has proven tough to deal with, forcing officials to change their earlier zero-tolerance policy in favour of a suppression strategy, reported the news agency. 

With AP inputs

Image: AP