Australian outbreak knocks transtasman bubble hopes

WELLINGTON: As South Australia experiences a new Covid19 outbreak, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern concedes there is very little chance of an operational transtasman travel bubble by Christmas.

Australia and New Zealand are tackling the pandemic with slightly different strategies, leading to an impasse over a border reopening.

Australia is pursuing a suppression strategy, which involves locking down hot spots where cases reach a certain threshold, but New Zealand’s elimination strategy does not allow for the same risk tolerance.

‘‘What’s happening in South Australia only further reinforces the importance of having a good understanding of how Australia intends to manage their internal borders when there are outbreaks,’’ Ms Ardern said yesterday.

‘‘If they have an outbreak but they are instituting strong border controls, then it’s manageable.

‘‘But if they have a tolerance level for community transmission that’s higher than ours, then it is problematic.

‘‘What this underscores is why it’s so important that New Zealand has not rushed into this.’’

While New Zealanders can travel to New South Wales and the Northern Territory without the need to quarantine for a fortnight, anyone entering New Zealand must complete a mandatory isolation period.

Ms Ardern said said she did not ‘‘have the necessary protections’’ to give an assurance about a Christmas reopening.

The outbreak triggered warnings and closures across Adelaide, and sparked panic interstate, and Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan made a snap decision requiring anyone entering from South Australia to go into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Queensland

followed

and announced it was closing the border to parts of South Australia from midnight last night.

New Zealand is holding out the prospect of opening up to one destination soon — the Cook Islands.

New Zealand officials are currently in the Cooks, surveying the country’s air and maritime borders, with a view to opening a bubble and restoring the tourismreliant economy.

Ms Ardern said once the officials approved an opening, it would take three weeks to get it up and running.

There was one new case of Covid19 in New Zealand yesterday, in managed isolation. — AAP