Trans-Tasman bubble on track to re-open
New COVID-19 cases in South Australia are unlikely to stop New Zealand from restoring trans-Tasman travel links to the state next week.
New Zealand halted eastward travel across the Tasman last Saturday night in response to new cases in NSW and NT that had the potential to spread to multiple states.
Jacinda Ardern's government has since announced it will re-open to Victoria, Tasmania, ACT and South Australia on Monday.
"We did indicate that if anything happened between then and when the decision comes into effect we would keep that under review," COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said.
Since then, South Australia has announced five new cases linked to the NT gold mine; a worker and their family, who have been isolating at home since the worker's return
Given the overall risk assessment is low, and South Australia has not required a lockdown to contain the spread, Mr Hipkins suggested international flights to Adelaide would be cleared for takeoff come next week.
"One of the things that we're looking at is the nature of risk from any cases that might be identified in those states," he said.
"Are they sorts of cases that might have triggered a pause, if a pause was not was not already in effect?
Or are they ones that were confident that with the contact tracing systems that they've got, with the limited range of exposure that it wouldn't necessarily have affected the bubble.
"We'll look at all of that over the next 48 hours or so, with a view to letting people know well in advance if there's any change to the other plans that we announced."
