COVID-19: New Zealand temporarily shuts borders to new arrivals amid Omicron spike

As the 'highly mutated' Omicron variant is rising in New Zealand, the nation has temporarily closed the sole route for overseas citizens as well as visa holders for their way back home. Following this, according to the official statement on Tuesday evening, new spaces in the nation's Managed Isolation and Quarantine system (MIQ) will not be granted. MIQ is basically an important part of New Zealand’s border measures to keep COVID-19 out of the country. 

After the administration suspended new MIQ space bookings, the COVID-19 response minister Chris Hipkins had conducted a brief news conference with the media on Wednesday. Hipkins stated that while the suspension has been "temporary," there was no timetable for when the new MIQ spaces would be again accessible. He further implied that New Zealand's border would be restricted to individuals without a previous booking for an indefinite period of time. “Pausing the next MIQ lobby is a temporary position while MIQ is under extreme pressure from New Zealanders returning with Omicron,” citing Hipkins, The Guardian reported.  

'We are not in a position to release more MIQ rooms': COVID-19 response minister

Hipkins went on to say, “No decisions have been made on the date, sequence and conditions for the border reopening and cabinet will consider options within the next couple of weeks based on the most up-to-date advice. Until then, we are not in a position to release more MIQ rooms.” With a ten-fold rise in infections at the boundary compared to December as well as a seven-day rolling average of 33, Chris Bunny, the chief of MIQ, claimed there that had been a record amount of Omicron instances coming into New Zealand and MIQ, according to The Guardian report.

Furthermore, the rigorous border controls of New Zealand have been critical in preventing the Omicron pandemic and keeping COVID instances to an absolute minimum. However, they are also causing rising pain and resentment among people who have found themselves locked out and often found in dire personal situations, The Guardian reported. Moreover, the termination of future releases proved upsetting for individuals trapped abroad.

Apart from taking the dangerous route of chartering a boat over the Tasman Sea, the only way to enter New Zealand borders is to get a position in MIQ. The rooms are issued by a lottery method, and there is considerable competition for them. At the time of the last release in early January, there was a line of 16,000 individuals waiting to secure one of the 1,250 vacant rooms. 

COVID-19 tally in New Zealand

In addition to this, New Zealand reported 24 new additional infections in the community on Wednesday. One of those instances has been identified as Omicron, a MIQ worker's household connection. On the other hand, one airport employee tested positive on Wednesday. As per Worldometers, over 15,249 individuals have been affected by the disease in the nation since the outbreak, and more than 52 people have lost their lives due to Coronavirus. 

Meanwhile, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, warned this week that an Omicron breakout was just a matter of time until it cracked through the national territory and that the country needs to use the opportunity to boost vaccination rates as much as possible. Approximately 80% of New Zealand's population has received one dose, while 78% are completely vaccinated. 

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