Quarantine-free travel from NZ's South Island to Australia to resume this week

The so-called green lane travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand was halted earlier this year after the Delta variant of COVID-19 hit the southeast of Australia.

New Zealand travellers at Sydney International Airport, Sydney, Monday, April 19, 2021.

New Zealand travellers at Sydney International Airport, Sydney, Monday, April 19, 2021. Source: AAP

Quarantine-free travel between Australia and the South Island of New Zealand is ready to resume, Chief Medical Official Paul Kelly says.

He said NSW and Victoria have agreed to allow trips to restart from midnight on Tuesday given there has not been a COVID-19 case in the South Island since last year.

"There is very good work being done to stop people from the North Island going to the South Island, so that is not a risk," Professor Kelly told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.

"We hope to allow anyone who has been in the South Island of New Zealand whether Australian, New Zealanders or other nationalities, as long as they have been there for 14 days, to come in quarantine free."

The so-called green lane travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand was halted earlier this year after the Delta variant of COVID-19 hit the southeast of Australia.

"I understand there are some Australians that have been stuck in the South Island of New Zealand for some time," Prof Kelly said.
On Saturday, New Zealand reported its single-dose vaccination coverage in those aged 12 and over is at 83 per cent. The double-dose coverage is at 62 per cent. 

New Zealand announced on Sunday it had recorded 51 new community cases of COVID-19, with 47 in Auckland on the North Island.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said he has also been in discussions with his Singaporean counterpart about a green lane travel bubble for fully vaccinated travellers from the Asian city-state.

More broadly Mr Hunt said there is a three-phase approach to international travel.

"Phase one is the opening up of double vaccinated to come back," he told reporters.

Phase two , which is currently being worked on between the commonwealth and the states, is to allow students and priority workers to travel to Australia.

"Phase three would be for fully vaccinated international travellers, that would include tourism," he said.


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Published 17 October 2021 10:36am
Updated 22 February 2022 6:54pm
Source: AAP, SBS



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