The Association is welcoming the news that self-isolation requirements are being removed for vaccinated offshore Kiwi’s set to visit Aotearoa.
Cabinet has agreed to lift all self-isolation requirements for vaccinated travellers entering New Zealand from 11:59pm, 2 March, which means that all Kiwis coming home and other eligible travellers entering the country will be able to step off the plane and immediately connect with family and friends, visit our hospitality businesses and all that the country has on offer.
This is a positive step towards welcoming back our Kiwi friends and whanau from overseas. However, we are keen to hear the next steps, where all international travellers will be able to return without the self-isolation requirement. Currently the border fully reopens to visitors from anywhere in the world at Step 5, proposed to be October 2022. We are advocating to bring this date forward, as soon as possible, as the return of these travellers will mark significant progress for the hospitality industry’s recovery.
What requirements will still be in place for travellers?
- Travellers will still be required to have a negative pre-departure test, and undertake two rapid antigen tests on arrival and at day 5/6.
- If anyone returns a positive result they will be required to report it and isolate for the same period as a community case (currently 10 days).
- Those returning a positive rapid antigen test will need to follow up with a PCR test, so that whole genome sequencing to determine the variant can be run.
Step 2 (New Zealanders returning from the ‘rest of the world’) also brought forward
The Government has also brought forward Step 2 of the country’s border reopening strategy, so that New Zealanders from the rest of the world can return from midnight, Friday 4 March. Cabinet will review the timings of the remaining steps in the coming weeks.
Managed isolation will remain for unvaccinated New Zealanders.