Borders closed for most of year

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s borders are likely to remain closed to most of the world for the rest of the year, as reopening them poses ‘‘too great a risk to our health and economy’’, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.

Instead, the Government will continue to pursue travel bubbles with Australia and the Pacific, despite Australia suspending its oneway travel bubble with New Zealand after confirmation of the Northland community case.

This is something Ms Ardern expressed her ‘‘disappointment’’ to Prime Minister Scott Morrison over, saying New Zealand’s situation was ‘‘well under control’’.

But even Ms Ardern admits that things are not looking as good as they once were when it comes to a full travel bubble between the two countries.

‘‘We are looking to pursue it,’’ she said yesterday.

‘‘[But] it does look increasingly difficult at a country by country level. We haven’t ruled out the possibility of state by state.’’

Looking outside Australia and the Pacific, however: ‘‘We can expect our borders to be impacted for much of this year,’’ Ms Ardern said.

She said for travel to fully restart, two things were needed.

‘‘We either need the confidence that being vaccinated means you don’t pass Covid19 on to others — and we don’t know that yet — or we need enough of our population to be vaccinated and protected that people can safely reenter New Zealand.’’

Both possibilities, Ms Ardern said, would take some time.

Data from the Ministry of Health yesterday revealed optimistic information about the Northland case and its limited spread.

After 1500 Covid19 tests, there is no evidence of a further positive case in the community.

The Ministry of Health said 16 people had now been identified as potential close contacts of the infected woman. Of those, 15 people had returned negative tests, including a household contact of the case.

An additional close contact was still awaiting their test results but the original case is still only one community case in the region.

In the meantime, 154 people have been identified as ‘‘casual contacts’’, who are now waiting for tests in isolation.

Ms Ardern also yesterday revealed that the first Covid19 vaccination could be given approval for use in New Zealand in just over a week.

But question marks remain around the Government’s vaccination timetable.

That is because, according to Ms Ardern, ‘‘we will be in the hands of pharmaceutical companies’ delivery timelines’’.

But Ms Ardern is promising that New Zealand’s ‘‘house will be in order’’ by the time the first vaccination shipment arrives.

Those first in line, as has previously been flagged, will be border and managed isolation and quarantine workers and their close contacts.

‘‘These brave people have been protecting our country from this global pandemic during the past year and protecting them and those who share their households is a priority for us,’’ Covid19 Minister Chris Hipkins said.

But the specific timeline as to when this group will get the vaccine remains unclear — the Government has committed only to the rollout being in the first quarter of the year.

It is a similar story for the rest of the general public, who will be getting a vaccine midway through this year, according to Mr Hipkins.

But the reason for the lack of specifics around time was down to the pharmaceutical companies and their delivery times, Ms Ardern said.

‘‘We’ve spoken in very general terms about our expectation of when we will receive our vaccine because, at this stage for pharmaceutical companies, a lot is changing for them.’’

She said these companies will be looking at the position of New Zealand compared to other countries where people are dying daily and in large numbers.

‘‘What I can give you an absolute assurance around, New Zealand will have its house in order,’’ Ms Ardern said.

‘‘We will be ready to receive it.’’ She expected the vaccine approval process, led by Medsafe, would be completed before the doses started arriving in New Zealand. — The New Zealand Herald