New Zealand Travel Bubble Announcement

[dajop]

Would be great to know how many travellers from Australia from say September tested positive in MIQ.

Would be interesting to know.

I have not been following NZ, but I have been following daily reports in Singapore since around the start of Victoria's second wave, as each day they issue a situation report which as well as discussion of local cases, looks at "imported cases", identifying the country where any people testing positive originated from. IIRC, there was only one positive test amongst travellers originating in Australia, and that report was declared a false positive two days later. I wonder if it is similar in NZ.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Oh dear, if thy are stumbling with Pacific Islands with no current active cases for more than28 days (or ever) then NZ seem to be on the WA/Qld super-cautious track.

 

[drron]

Quite a few Kiwis working here on Norfolk Island.Number of Cases zero.But it is part of Australia so 2 weeks quarantine if they go home.Some really want to be there for Christmas.

 

[DC3]

Super cautious in looking after the heath of their resident Kiwis.

 

[jb747]

I see that airlines are now cancelling most of the NZ services.

 

[dajop]

I see that airlines are now cancelling most of the NZ services.

Not surprising. Travel is effectively only open to those making long term visits, returning or relocating to AU. Travel in the other direction is more or less closed for December if this report is true:

New Zealand Covid-19 managed Isolation facilities fully booked until Boxing Day

The country's managed isolation facilities are now fully booked until after Christmas, with facilities operating at capacity, a spokesperson says.

www.rnz.co.nz

 

[drron]

Talked to another Kiwi couple today who wanted to go home for Christmas from Norfolk Island but can't.Would have cost them $NZ3000 each coming from a place with no covid cases.

 

[jakeseven7]

I thought I posted this.... but anyway, NZ foreign minister interviewed on Radio National this morning, no update and no timeframe on when the two way bubble will even be considered by their cabinet, let alone opened...

Can kick road down again.......

 

[DC3]

How’s the NZ bubble going? Not looking too good is it?

Qantas, Jetstar cancel trans-Tasman flights, citing NZ's limited quarantine vouchers

"This may change if a two-way bubble between Australia and New Zealand is introduced," the airlines said.

www.tvnz.co.nz

 

[jakeseven7]

Talked to another Kiwi couple today who wanted to go home for Christmas from Norfolk Island but can't.Would have cost them $NZ3000 each coming from a place with no covid cases.

Given NZ has more community transmission than the entire country of Australia, maybe we should be the ones dictating the terms and shutting to them....

 

[drron]

So arriving into BNE international this afternoon there was an Air Kiribati plane there-possibly bringing in agricultural workers.
Now Kiribati has had no Covid cases.It has been on my bucket list for years.Why can't we get a bubble there?

 

[DC3]

... Why can't we get a bubble there?

You may need to call in a few favours from the ruling class.

 

[NZflygirl]

So arriving into BNE international this afternoon there was an Air Kiribati plane there-possibly bringing in agricultural workers.
Now Kiribati has had no Covid cases.It has been on my bucket list for years.Why can't we get a bubble there?

My only issues with islands is making sure their border protection measures are secure, good testing capability, and access to good healthcare if things go wrong. Even if that’s transporting them back to the mainland be it Oz/NZ. It’s unfair to accidentally export the virus and not help them get out of that situation if it occurs. Otherwise I’m all for it.

 

[TheRealTMA]

But. Do we really want to travel here?

'Big cat' country? New Zealand's obsession with giant feline sightings

Is there a pleasure in not knowing if the decades-old mystery about a cat prowling the country’s South Island is fact or fiction?

www.theguardian.com

 

[Tawita]

So arriving into BNE international this afternoon there was an Air Kiribati plane there-possibly bringing in agricultural workers.

Definitely not agricultural workers. The Air Kiribati Embraer (VH-IKJ) spends 99% of its time on the ground in Toowoomba. This has been the case since its delivery fresh from the factory in December 2019. It is not yet approved for passenger flights and has made maybe 3 flights to TRW, bringing in spare parts for Air Kiribati's ailing domestic fleet.

The only flight in the past 7 days was the half-hour hop from WTB to BNE on 10 November.

 

[jb747]

How’s the NZ bubble going? Not looking too good is it?

Burst.

 

[CityRail]

I wondering as SA is recording some COVID-19 minor outbreaks, whether it has set back the discussion of a travel bubble between Australia and NZ?

We are due to have honeymoon around Christmas and we are longing for the launch of travel bubble that we can take a break from Australia.

Moreover, I have grave concerns about the one way travel bubble between NZ and Australia. Surely NZ is a very safe country, but for passengers to enter into Australia without conducting any pre-departure testing, on arrival testing, it is simply a ticking time bomb for a massive community outbreak in Australia once we open to countries like Japan, South Korea etc.

Why couldn't the Federal Government push for mandatory testing on arrival for all international and domestic flights so to ensure all state borders can come down and travel bubbles can safety commence?

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I wondering as SA is recording some COVID-19 minor outbreaks, whether it has set back the discussion of a travel bubble between Australia and NZ?

We are due to have honeymoon around Christmas and we are longing for the launch of travel bubble that we can take a break from Australia.

Moreover, I have grave concerns about the one way travel bubble between NZ and Australia. Surely NZ is a very safe country, but for passengers to enter into Australia without conducting any pre-departure testing, on arrival testing, it is simply a ticking time bomb for a massive community outbreak in Australia once we open to countries like Japan, South Korea etc.

Why couldn't the Federal Government push for mandatory testing on arrival for all international and domestic flights so to ensure all state borders can come down and travel bubbles can safety commence?

What you suggest is not fool-proof.

Interesting post (post 7) on another AFF thread where pre-test and embarkation test still did not happen to stop a positive case emerging

Sewage testing detects COVID-19 on Qantas DEL-DRW repatriation flight

I've been listening to the ABC's coronacast podcast almost every day since it started, and have found it to be an interesting and reliable source of COVID-19 information and advice. On today's episode they had a guest, Paul Birch from the CSIRO, talking about sewerage testing as a way to detect...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[oznflfan]

I wondering as SA is recording some COVID-19 minor outbreaks, whether it has set back the discussion of a travel bubble between Australia and NZ?
We are due to have honeymoon around Christmas and we are longing for the launch of travel bubble that we can take a break from Australia.
I seriously think Scott Morrison should push hard for opening of NZ and other countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong etc., and push Australians to quarantine at those countries before using the travel bubble to return to Australia, so that we can minimise the risk of leaking the virus through hotel quarantine in Australia.

No chance, sorry. Wait until vaccine, then be prepared to wait some more. No travel bubbles will ever happen.

 

[CityRail]

No chance, sorry. Wait until vaccine, then be prepared to wait some more. No travel bubbles will ever happen.

Why wait until vaccine? Even a vaccine is available I gravely fear that those politicians will move the goal post and say we need to have vast majority vaccinated.

Seriously, I think we should wait no more. We need to live with COVID and bring our life back to as normal as possible. This virus only kill those who are 70 or above, as far as we protect those groups well we should not jeopardise lives and livelihoods of many families who are separated by artificial borders established by politicians who does so only to protect their political position.