New Zealand — which has completely eliminated the coronavirus — hopes to reopen its borders in 2022, including travel without isolation.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the news, she announced the steps to reopen the country to international tourists.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, only 26 deaths have been reported in this South Pacific country of 5 million people.
Its border was closed to non-citizens and residents for the first time in March 2020, but with a small number of exemptions.
Earlier this year, New Zealand opened a quarantine-free travel bubble to Australia and the Cook Islands.
Mrs. Ardern revealed that the country is currently seeking to strengthen its vaccination program for the remainder of 2021, with the goal of reopening the border in 2022.
This will include dividing countries into low, medium and high risk categories to determine visitor rules.
New Zealand is currently on the UK’s Green List, which means that anyone who returns does not need to self-quarantine, although they need to undergo a PCR test on day 2.
Mrs. Ardern said: “Although the pandemic continues to raging overseas and the virus is constantly changing and mutating, the best thing we can do is to lock in the results achieved so far while maintaining our options.”
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden
/ Associated PressShe added that under the plan, fully vaccinated travelers from low-risk countries do not need to be quarantined.
Those flying in from a medium-risk country need to complete some form of quarantine.
Ardern said people from high-risk countries or who have not been vaccinated need to stay in a military-run quarantine hotel for 14 days.
The government did not provide a ranking of countries/regions by risk, saying it could change quickly.
New Zealand is not the only country hoping to close its borders by next year.
Australia is also unlikely to welcome tourists back before mid-2022-although it is also on the UK’s green list.
These changes are generally welcomed by business owners, including the troubled tourism industry.
Before the pandemic, more than 3 million overseas tourists visited New Zealand every year, and tourism was one of the country’s largest industries.
Chris Roberts, chief executive of New Zealand’s tourism industry, said: “It is important to develop a roadmap so that all businesses, including tour operators, can plan ahead and make informed decisions.”
Opposition leader Judith Collins said Mrs. Ardern’s statement was a step in the right direction, but the government needs to speed up its vaccination plan.
Approximately 29% of New Zealanders received a dose of the vaccine, and 17% received the vaccine.
At the same time, other destinations are adopting a phased approach to attract the return of tourists.
Thailand’s popular holiday destination, Phuket, has reopened to vaccinated tourists in Chuli, and plans to reopen the entire country in October to those who have suffered a double blow.
