New Zealand will keep COVID-19 restrictions till October

Speaking in front of the business audience in Auckland today, New Zealand’s Prime Minister announced that the country will not lift all of COVID-19 restrictions at once, and at least some of them will remain in effect until October of 2022.

As New Zealand is planning a phased reopening of its border, prime minister Jacinda Ardern said: “Our strategy with Omicron is to slow the spread, and our borders are part of that.”

From February 27, vaccinated New Zealanders in Australia can travel home without the need to stay at state-managed quarantine facilities. Two weeks later, New Zealand citizens around the world will also be able to return without the need to stay at the quarantine centers.

Some skilled workers, as well as foreign vaccinated backpackers, will be allowed in from March 13. In April, up to 5,000 international students will be given permission to enter.

Tourists from visa-free countries, including Australia, will only be allowed to enter from July. Under the current plans, those from the rest of the world will be forced to wait until October.

Ardern said that all travelers would still have to self-isolate for 10 days, while noting that opening the borders in a managed way would ensure the healthcare system could manage the anticipated increase in cases.

The highly contagious Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus has already been detected in New Zealand and is responsible for a small uptick in infections.