Australia-New Zealand Bubble Hopes Growing
Australia and New Zealand will establish a trans-Tasman travel bubble when both countries are confident coronavirus won’t be sent across borders.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined a meeting of Australia’s federal and state leaders yesterday to discuss restarting travel.
“When we feel comfortable and confident that we both won’t receive cases from Australia, but equally that we won’t export them, then that will be the time to move,” she told reporters in Wellington. Ms Ardern said more detail about plans to reopen borders between the two nations would be released after national cabinet wraps up on yesterday afternoon.
Travellers should not expect to be forced into two-week quarantine periods when travel restarts. “I think everyone would acknowledge it would be prohibitive,” Ms Ardern said.
The NZ prime minister said a travel bubble could be considered because of both countries’ strong performance in stopping the spread of coronavirus. “We should both be proud of the efforts that have been made and again the demonstration of the important
Anzac bond between us,” she said. Tasmania is looking at direct flights to New Zealand for the first time since the 1990s.
National cabinet is also considering ways to get millions of people working from home back to the office and other worksites.
The National COVID-19 Coordination Commission will provide a high-level briefing on virus-safe workplaces as leaders mull relaxing economic and social restrictions.
Australia’s coronavirus death toll is at 96, with under 1000 active cases out of more than 6830 detected since the pandemic erupted. A cluster at a Melbourne abattoir has grown to 45 cases, with the outbreak behind 11 of Victoria’s 17 new infections yesterday.