New Zealand has announced on Tuesday that it will open a long-anticipated travel bubble with Australia on April 19. The announcement came following successfully in stamping out the spread of the coronavirus in both countries.
Both countries have managed to keep out the virus by putting up barriers to the outside world, including strict quarantine requirements for travelers from countries where the virus is rampant.
Announcing the travel bubble, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said health officials believe the risk of the virus being transmitted from Australia is low and that travel is now safe.
“The bubble will give our economic recovery a boost and represents a world-leading arrangement of safely opening up international travel while continuing to pursue a strategy of elimination and keeping the virus out,” Ardern said.
Ardern also said that New Zealand is not currently considering travel bubbles with any other countries, aside from the tiny Pacific nations of the Cook Islands and Niue, both of which have strong constitutional ties with New Zealand.
Both countries have managed to keep out the virus by putting up barriers to the outside world, including strict quarantine requirements for travelers from countries where the virus is rampant.
Announcing the travel bubble, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said health officials believe the risk of the virus being transmitted from Australia is low and that travel is now safe.
“The bubble will give our economic recovery a boost and represents a world-leading arrangement of safely opening up international travel while continuing to pursue a strategy of elimination and keeping the virus out,” Ardern said.
Ardern also said that New Zealand is not currently considering travel bubbles with any other countries, aside from the tiny Pacific nations of the Cook Islands and Niue, both of which have strong constitutional ties with New Zealand.
