Wellington: Fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens will find it easier to return from January 2022, with foreign nationals following from April, as the government will remove the requirement for Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) for most travelers, Covid-19 Reaction Minister Chris Hipkins said Wednesday.
Fully vaccinated Kiwis and other qualifying travelers can travel to New Zealand from 11:59 pm on January 16, 2022 without staying in MIQ, according to a plan announced by Hipkins during a press conference.
Fully vaccinated Kiwis and other qualifying travelers can travel to New Zealand from 23:59 on 13 February 2022 from 23:59, Hipkins added, adding that all fully vaccinated individuals will travel to New Zealand from 30 April 2022 can travel, with the reopening over time, reports Xinhua News Agency.
“Closing our border was one of the first steps we took to keep our country safe. Covid-19 and it will be the last thing we open up, after our transition to the traffic light protection framework system and the lifting of the Auckland border, ”he said.
The MIQ policy is being replaced by a mandatory seven-day self-isolation, he added.
All travelers who are not required to enter MIQ will still require a negative test before departure, proof that they have been fully vaccinated, a passenger statement on travel history, a one day 1/1 test on arrival, ‘ a requirement to isolate oneself for seven days, and a final negative test before entering the community, according to the government’s feedback strategy.
“It is very encouraging that we as a country are now in a position to move towards greater normality,” Hipkins said, adding the strategy will continue to be reviewed against the risk posed by travelers entering New Zealand. .
“The border is our biggest risk for new cases,” Hipkins said, adding the current outbreak, which now has more than 7,000 related cases, stems from a single traveler traveling from Australia to New Zealand.
A phased approach will reduce any potential impact on vulnerable communities and the New Zealand health system, he said, adding further details on how self-isolation will be implemented will be made available in December, and include guidance on how people from their arrival airport can travel. to their location of self-isolation and requirements for the places where they can isolate themselves.
Source: Telangana Today