COVID-19: NEW Zealand exception to Australian International travel ban

In the clearest move yet towards a trans-Tasman travel bubble, Greg Hunt, Australia’s Health Minister has amended biosecurity laws to lift the ban on international travel – but only for New Zealand, as long as you have been in Australia for at least 14 days.

Before

Previously, Australians needed to apply for an exemption to the international travel ban before leaving the country for the land of the long white cloud – or anywhere else for that matter.

Now

Currently, if you do head to New Zealand, you won’t need that exemption, but you will need to spend 14 days in quarantine on arrival. If you are in NZ and are travelling to Australia, then no Oz quarantine is required, although you will need to isolate for 14 days on your return to New Zealand.

Soon

When/If the trans-Tasman travel bubble comes into place, depending on which state you want to enter, there will be no quarantine for those entering, Australia or New Zealand.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister said in a post cabinet meeting press conference on Monday that she would have an announcement on the travel bubble on April 6, 2021. She also indicated that it was more likely to be a state by Australian state ‘bubble’ rather than a country wide bubble.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

It ain’t signed, sealed or delivered yet, but this is another move in the right direction. Agreements still need to be negotiated about what happens if/when an outbreak occurs (in either country), and ground rules for contact tracing and some other technical issues need to be negotiated. However, this is all heading in the right direction.

Both Australian and New Zealand tourist industries will be jubilant once the trans-Tasman bubble is in place.