New Zealand Travel Bubble Announcement

[VPS]

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.

The virus does not only kill people over 70 and people over 70 have a right to live their lives as well.

Also - it isn't just the deaths that is an issue but the aftereffects in even young people that they will live with for many years.

 

[oznflfan]

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.

Agree with both points, and especially # 1 about how government will move the goalposts constantly.

 

[drron]

The NZ travel bubble is no longer on life support.It is dead.
Jacinda Adern on the TV news last night suggesting that really only a possibility if Australia adopts an elimination strategy just as NZ has done.

COVID clash makes Aus-NZ bubble unworkable

A clash of COVID-19 containment styles between Australia and New Zealand continues to thwart progress on the trans-Tasman bubble.

7news.com.au

And that strategy hasn't really worked for them anyway.

 

[jakeseven7]

The NZ travel bubble is no longer on life support.It is dead.
Jacinda Adern on the TV news last night suggesting that really only a possibility if Australia adopts an elimination strategy just as NZ has done.

COVID clash makes Aus-NZ bubble unworkable

A clash of COVID-19 containment styles between Australia and New Zealand continues to thwart progress on the trans-Tasman bubble.

7news.com.au

And that strategy hasn't really worked for them anyway.

I think we all knew that, which means the pressure really falls on NSW to somehow hunt down and wipe out the virus from SW / W Sydney and for SA to control this little outbreak, which is looking pretty good.

Given NSW has said several times they are content with it bubbling along in the outer Sydney suburbs then we will just have to live without free NZ travel for another year or so....

 

[NZflygirl]

The NZ travel bubble is no longer on life support.It is dead.
Jacinda Adern on the TV news last night suggesting that really only a possibility if Australia adopts an elimination strategy just as NZ has done.

COVID clash makes Aus-NZ bubble unworkable

A clash of COVID-19 containment styles between Australia and New Zealand continues to thwart progress on the trans-Tasman bubble.

7news.com.au

And that strategy hasn't really worked for them anyway.

This is stupid. Pretty obvious both countries aiming for zero. That’s all that matters. Even if it’s for a brief time before the next cluster occurs I’d still rather the borders open even if state by state.

NZs Auckland cluster came out of nowhere, wasn’t linked to the border and NZ seem to pride themselves on going back to zero social distancing or restrictions generally between outbreaks. Blew out to 179. Nothing wrong with QLD response to VIC seeding with the 2 teens who’d been out in the community a week prior to test. Targeted restrictions. I think maxed at 55 cases. SA is linked. Restrictions applied. Early days but I think they’ll lick it. NSW doing things a bit differently and sometimes I hold my breath but they’re doing pretty well! Consistency for businesses and community is good. Only tighten if you need to. Even NZ is trying to avoid going up alert levels.

Why can’t they just look at outcomes instead of strategies? Anyway after watching some NZ pressers recently I’ve resigned myself to quarantine on return. Meh...

 

[CityRail]

The NZ travel bubble is no longer on life support.It is dead.
Jacinda Adern on the TV news last night suggesting that really only a possibility if Australia adopts an elimination strategy just as NZ has done.

COVID clash makes Aus-NZ bubble unworkable

A clash of COVID-19 containment styles between Australia and New Zealand continues to thwart progress on the trans-Tasman bubble.

7news.com.au

And that strategy hasn't really worked for them anyway.

I think it is time for Australia to move on and establish travel bubbles with Singapore and Hong Kong, so that NZers will envy about how Australia has been successful in living with COVID and how incompetent the NZ Government is.

 

[oznflfan]

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.

This is stupid. Pretty obvious both countries aiming for zero. That’s all that matters. Even if it’s for a brief time before the next cluster occurs I’d still rather the borders open even if state by state.

NZs Auckland cluster came out of nowhere, wasn’t linked to the border and NZ seem to pride themselves on going back to zero social distancing or restrictions generally between outbreaks. Blew out to 179. Nothing wrong with QLD response to VIC seeding with the 2 teens who’d been out in the community a week prior to test. Targeted restrictions. I think maxed at 55 cases. SA is linked. Restrictions applied. Early days but I think they’ll lick it. NSW doing things a bit differently and sometimes I hold my breath but they’re doing pretty well! Consistency for businesses and community is good. Only tighten if you need to. Even NZ is trying to avoid going up alert levels.

Why can’t they just look at outcomes instead of strategies? Anyway after watching some NZ pressers recently I’ve resigned myself to quarantine on return. Meh...

Interesting to see if NZ open for tourists once a safe and effective vaccine is available and widespread. Even is best case say 90% effective, and NZ only allows in vaccinated tourists, COVID will come in and potentially infect some NZer's. The vaccine will control it and stop it's spread, but this is still not elimination.

 

[antycbr]

I think it is time for Australia to move on and establish travel bubbles with Singapore and Hong Kong, so that NZers will envy about how Australia has been successful in living with COVID and how incompetent the NZ Government is.

Exactly this.

NZ depends massively on inbound tourism and there won't be much of that for the forseeable future.

The other aspect is that NZers living in Australia are trapped here unless they want to do quarantine and I am sure that is none too popular with families on both sides of the Tasman.

 

[jakeseven7]

Today’s huge news that QLD will have no domestic border controls anymore from 1 Dec (SA to be reviewed at the end of this week) is a really good step towards a NZ travel bubble.

Literally the only state that remains closed is WA and they will be announcing opening dates to VIC and NSW shortly.

So that then turns our attention back to our NZ friends.... really there should be no reason they don’t open before Christmas to Australia, but failing that early in the new year should really be firmly back on the table now....

 

[jb747]

Bubbles are never going to work if they are one way. Or if there is a substantial risk of governments suddenly slamming on quarantine rules (especially if retrospective (TAS) or without warning (WA)). I expect that I’ll remain wary of being more than one state from home for quite some time.

I’m really looking forward to hearing how NZ plans on reviving their tourist industry. I don’t know that an Antarctic travel bubble will be all that helpful.

 

[jakeseven7]

Bubbles are never going to work if they are one way. Or if there is a substantial risk of governments suddenly slamming on quarantine rules (especially if retrospective (TAS) or without warning (WA)). I expect that I’ll remain wary of being more than one state from home for quite some time.

I’m really looking forward to hearing how NZ plans on reviving their tourist industry. I don’t know that an Antarctic travel bubble will be all that helpful.

But what about the risk from covid carrying Penguins?!
Arden better establish another executive team that will take 3 months to review and evaluate this

Although I’m ever hopeful that NZ will act more rationally and enter into a real bubble with Australia, their new foreign minister sounds a bit hopeless...

They were on the radio yesterday talking fluffy nothings about everything including the bubble ‘we are actively reviewing and processing with a team of people in order to arrive at a point where we can provide a recommendation blah blah blah rubbish waffle’

I really wonder now what is holding things up...

 

[drron]

Especially as a New Zealand Antarctica travel bubble would mean cruise ship travel the possibility is remote (pun intended).
I seriously doubt that the authorities would allow tourist flights to land in Antarctica.

 

[CityRail]

As state borders are all reopening, I think that means one of the clouds surrounding the Trans-Tasman bubble is lifted.

I hope Scott Morrison can push for a two way bubble before Christmas as Australia has almost eliminated the virus.

 

[cambriamarsh]

It would be good but don't like our chances

 

[jakeseven7]

It would be good but don't like our chances

Agree

NZ can barely function when they have their own quarantine case let alone deal with a potential case with another country bubble partner

 

[N860CR]

The “talk” of vaccines being closer means any bubbles are out the window. As dumb as that is (we are talking about politicians remember).... the promise for this was “it will be over when there is a vaccine”. That’s not how it’ll work at all, but now that it’s within reach, nothing will change until it appears.

 

[cambriamarsh]

Agree

NZ can barely function when they have their own quarantine case let alone deal with a potential case with another country bubble partner

Cynic, or is a realist?

 

[drron]

Cynic, or is a realist?

Maybe both?

 

[CityRail]

The “talk” of vaccines being closer means any bubbles are out the window. As dumb as that is (we are talking about politicians remember).... the promise for this was “it will be over when there is a vaccine”. That’s not how it’ll work at all, but now that it’s within reach, nothing will change until it appears.

This has just shown our politicians are just shifting their goal posts, as I am gravely concerned that our borders will not open as they will once again shift the post to until majority has been vaccinated etc etc.

Back to the topic, it has been a few weeks since we have any news about the Trans-Tasman bubble. Is it really dead? Considering Australia has eliminated the virus virtually across every state and territory and most state borders are reopened, I don't understand what is holding NZ back from opening themselves up for Australia.

In particular when now we have vaccines approved, I just think the AU-NZ bubble should be the first to launch and it can be very safe with testing on arrival/pre-departure etc.

 

[oznflfan]

This has just shown our politicians are just shifting their goal posts, as I am gravely concerned that our borders will not open as they will once again shift the post to until majority has been vaccinated etc etc.

Back to the topic, it has been a few weeks since we have any news about the Trans-Tasman bubble. Is it really dead? Considering Australia has eliminated the virus virtually across every state and territory and most state borders are reopened, I don't understand what is holding NZ back from opening themselves up for Australia.

In particular when now we have vaccines approved, I just think the AU-NZ bubble should be the first to launch and it can be very safe with testing on arrival/pre-departure etc.

By March I reckon, except me personally end of 2021 as I'd be back of the queue as I'm not university educated.