The Australian government has resumed the travel bubble with New Zealand after closing it for six days.
Tourists from New Zealand can now again visit Australia without the need to undergo a 14-day quarantine.
All other arrivals must present proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test and self-isolate for two weeks.
The travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand initially opened in October 2020. Travelers could spend their quarantine-free vacation in Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane.
At the beginning of January 2021, Australian government officials extended the corridor with Queensland, given its low coronavirus incidence.
However, the travel bubble was suspended last Monday, January 25, because a case of the new Coronavirus strain was confirmed in New Zealand. Since then, no other cases have been reported.
For the next ten days, Australia will require mandatory screenings of passengers from New Zealand for COVID-19 symptoms. Moreover, cross-reference with contact tracing will be conducted to ensure there was no close contact with a recently infected person.
The agreement works only one way, as all passengers coming to New Zealand have to self-isolate upon their arrival.
According to Michael Kidd, Australian Acting Chief Medical Officer, visitors from New Zealand carry a very low risk of spreading the virus as a result of the country’s strict measures.
Only returning nationals and residents are allowed to enter the country. There are just a few other exceptions.
In total, New Zealand has recorded 2,304 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths. There are only 71 active cases in the country at the moment.
Similarly, after a significant increase in the epidemiological figures, Australia imposed tough restrictions on international and inter-city travel.
So far, this country has reported 28,818 Coronavirus cases and 909 deaths. At this moment, there are 1,842 infected people in Australia.
Both countries have had less than ten daily new cases in the past week.