(TAN): Australia and New Zealand have agreed on a limited coronavirus travel bubble deal that will allow New Zealanders to visit parts of the neighbouring country without having to be quarantined. The Trans-Tasman travel bubble will start functioning from October 16, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said.
According to the deal between Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Kiwi counterpart Jacinda Ardern, New Zealanders will be able to visit New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital; and the Northern Territory of Australia. McCormack told reporters that this is the first step towards reopening Australian borders to the world. Arrangements for Australians to travel to New Zealand are yet to be finalised.
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South Australia could be the next state to join the limited travel bubble plan, with McCormack describing the state as “the next cab off the rank”. “This will allow New Zealanders and other residents who have not been in an area designated as a Covid-19 hotspot in New Zealand in the preceding 14 days to travel quarantine-free,” media quoted McCormack as saying.
Australia closed its borders in March in an effort to control the coronavirus, and returning citizens and residents have to undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine. While the nation has largely controlled community transmission, other than a resurgence in Victoria state, the border closure has stopped international tourism and also pulled the plug on a university sector that relies strongly on overseas students.
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Meanwhile, New Zealand, which eliminated local community transmission earlier this year and swiftly brought a more limited outbreak in Auckland under control, is keeping its border shut. Prime Minister Ardern has made clear that Kiwis have to quarantine on their return home if they travel to Australia. Morrison and Ardern also spoke on rules for Australians to be allowed to travel to New Zealand, reports sources. “We want to make sure that there is two-way travel,” Financial Review quoted McCormack as saying.
Ardern had earlier said that she would require states and territories with ongoing transmission of the virus to be excluded from the plan. Momentum for the travel bubble faced a setback at the start of Victoria’s second wave outbreak, ahead of a smaller number of new cases flaring up in New Zealand. Tourism & Transport Forum Australia has expressed hope that Australians would be allowed to travel to New Zealand by November.
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