Australia Suspends New Zealand Travel Bubble After New Covid Case

AUSTRALIA Suspends New Zealand Travel Bubble After New Covid Case

Following the announcement that New Zealand had a woman test positive for the South African COVID variant, Australia’s Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the suspension will last for 72 hours.

New Zealand’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the genomic sequence has determined that the patient, a 56-year-old woman who travelled to Spain and the Netherlands for work, contracted the virus from another international traveller during her mandatory quarantine at an Auckland hotel between January 9 and 13.

The detection of the new case in New Zealand, according to Mr Hunt, means all passengers from New Zealand with a flight scheduled in the next 72 hours should reconsider their need for travel.

“They will, as a consequence, have to go into hotel quarantine or some such other arrangements as individual states may implement, for up to 14 days, but for a minimum of 72 hours and to have a test,” Mr Hunt said.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has spoken with Scott Morrison about the border changes.

“I was advised late this afternoon of Australia’s decision by the Prime Minister,” Ardern said of the border closure, according to 1 NEWS.

“I advised him that we have confidence in our systems and processes, but it is Australia’s decision as to how they manage their borders.”

Since October last year, New Zealanders have been able to come to Australia without having to complete 14 days in hotel quarantine, given they had been in New Zealand for 14 days or more and not been to a designated hotspot.

In other news, Australia announced today (January 25) the approval of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, the first against this disease to get the green light in the country, where the first inoculations are expected to begin at the end of February.

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