Nat’s border plan to ‘open safely’

The National Party wants to open up the borders to let in more foreign workers and international students as well as people from Covid-free countries including Pacific nations.

And as revealed yesterday, National wants the private sector to be allowed to accommodate overseas arrivals, which would shoulder some of the costs while boosting capacity.

National’s Covid-19 border response spokesman Gerry Brownlee said safety would remain the primary focus.

All private facilities would have to meet standards of safety, security, reporting, transporting, training and testing, as well as associated costs.

They would be able to charge what they wanted for managed isolation or quarantine (MIQ) rooms.

National’s proposed Te Korowai Whakamaru/nz Border Protection Agency would set the standards, and any contractors working at private MIQ facilities would have to pass a “rigorous” screening process.

“We’re not talking about wholesale opening of the border by any means,” Brownlee said.

“But there are facilities around the country that will be able to meet the criteria.”

Returning Kiwis would remain at the front of the queue, he said.

But foreign essential workers, international students and eventually long-stay tourists would be able to book MIQ rooms 30 days before arriving.

“We cannot stay isolated forever,” Brownlee said.

“Our horticultural industry, for example, is desperate to fill the worker shortage created by border restrictions that is putting $9.5 billion of the country’s economy at risk.”

He did not provide a timeline on when students or tourists would be able to make bookings.

National wants the border agency established within 100 days of taking office, so a booking system operated by the agency would unlikely be ready before the start of next year at the earliest.

Brownlee asked why international rugby players were allowed into the country while some essential workers and people from Covid-free Pacific nations were not.

Brownlee said risk-based arrangements should be looked at and floated the idea of shorter periods in MIQ for arrivals from low risk areas, such as Pacific regions.

These would sit alongside previously-announced safeguards including pre-departure testing, compulsory day-three testing in MIQ and a requirement to use contact-tracing technology.

He also wanted immediate investment in Bluetooth technology to enhance contact-tracing.

A “weak positive” case tested negative yesterday, meaning there were no new cases of Covid-19 to reported. Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said the person likely had a historical infection.

That person had been on the same chartered flight from Christchurch to Auckland 11 days ago as the man whose Covid-19 is thought to have had a long incubation period.