Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – New Zealand announced to tighten travel rules following the emergence of new cases of Covid-19 in areas free of the Corona virus.
This rule, among others, requires airplane passengers to vaccinate against Covid-19 in full or in two doses for non-New Zealanders.
“We are introducing a requirement for air travelers aged 17 years and over, who are not New Zealand citizens, to be fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand,” Covid-19 Minister Christ Hipkins said on Sunday. Aljazeera, Sunday (3/10/021).
The national carrier, Air New Zealand also announced that it would introduce a no-fly until vaccinated or “no jab, no fly” policy for passengers on all international flights from February 1.
As is known, New Zealand is the country with the best handling of Covid-19 in the world.
The country has managed to contain the spread of the virus and has reported a death toll of 27 out of a population of nearly five million.
In large part, that success has been due to the tight border controls and lockdowns that have allowed pre-pandemic life to largely resume.
But the increased border restrictions come as the city of Hamilton and the neighboring city of Raglan are on lockdown for five days, with only essential movements allowed, after two people tested positive. The cases are believed to be unrelated to the latest outbreak in Auckland.
The city of two million people has been under lockdown for nearly seven weeks as officials grapple with an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant that has so far infected as many as 1,320 people.
About 2,000 people attended an anti-lockdown rally in Auckland over the weekend, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing the demonstration as a “total slap in the face” for people who have adhered to strict rules banning public gatherings.
“It is illegal and also morally wrong,” he said.
New Zealand is pursuing a Covid zero elimination strategy. This feat had been successful for six months before the latest Auckland outbreak emerged.
The prime minister said the strict lockdown could end if 90 per cent of the eligible population were fully vaccinated, in contrast to the current 46 per cent.
“We have a different approach to COVID in our view, and in our hands,” Ardern said on Sunday.
“So when we’re all looking ahead and thinking about summer, and the plans we’re making, make the first step of the vaccine. That’s the thing that’s going to make that summer plan possible.”
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