It will be the first time that the country will be opening after it closed in 2020 in response to COVID pandemic. As per the reports, its borders have remained closed since then.
Further, some skilled workers and vaccinated foreigners will be allowed to enter the country from March 13, while up to 5000 international students will be allowed to enter from April 12.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated that tourists from Australia and other visa-free countries will be allowed to enter the country by July, whereas those from the rest of the world will have to wait till October. The Prime Minister also stated that all travellers would still have to self-isolate for 10 days.
She elaborated that opening borders in a phased manner would enable people to reunite and further help fill workforce shortages, while ensuring that the healthcare system is able to manage an expected increase in cases.
She also added that their strategy with Omicron is to slow the spread, and opening borders in a phased manner is a part of that plan.
The highly contagious virus variant is currently dominant across the world, and was also recently detected in New Zealand. As per the reports, the case numbers are soaring there too.
