New Zealand announces on Wednesday that its borders will remain closed to foreign travelers until the end of April due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This decision comes at a time when the archipelago is gradually relaxing the measures for international arrivals, so far among the strictest in the world.
The Minister in charge of the fight against Covid-19, Chris Hipkins, indicated that New Zealanders stranded in Australia could return from mid-January, those from the rest of the world will have to wait until February.
For their part, foreigners will be able to visit the archipelago from the end of April, according to the gradual reopening plan unveiled on Wednesday.
"We recognize that the situation has been difficult, but the end of travel restrictions is now in sight," said the minister.
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New Zealand closed its borders in March 2020. All people arriving from overseas were required to observe a two-week quarantine in a hotel.
This period has recently been reduced to seven days.
Chris Hipkins went further on Wednesday by announcing that with the gradual opening of its borders, to Australia and then to the rest of the planet, travelers will have to isolate themselves at home for seven days after proving to be fully vaccinated and negative.
Reopening for Christmas "is not realistic"
The announcement is made amid growing pressure from New Zealanders stranded abroad and frustrated at not being able to book rooms in insufficiently quarantined hotels.
New Zealand announced earlier this week a change in its strategy to fight Covid-19, deciding to contain the Delta variant rather than eliminate it.
The disease has only killed 40 people in a population of five million.
But authorities admitted that the Delta variant was a game-changer and that they had to abandon their zero Covid goal.
The minister in charge of the fight against Covid-19 recognized that many residents wanted the borders to reopen for Christmas.
But he felt that this is unrealistic.
“The global pandemic continues, with an increase in the number of cases in Europe and other parts of the world,” he said.
"We must therefore be careful about the reopening of our borders, this is what we are doing and what we have always done".
He said that from next month, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Fiji and Brazil would no longer be classified among the countries at very high risk, which will allow their nationals to travel to New Zealand. -Zeeland from April 30.