(Auckland) New Zealanders stranded abroad by the pandemic returned home with tears and hugs on Monday as the country began to lift some of its border health restrictions that were among the toughest in the world.
Posted at 11:43 a.m.
‘Welcome home, my darling daughter’: At Auckland airport, parents reunited with loved ones allowed to enter the country without mandatory hotel quarantine for the first time in nearly two years.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called the change welcome, especially for the tens of thousands of New Zealanders abroad eager to return home.
“We look forward to seeing you,” said Mr.me Ardern to the press in Wellington, adding that it was an “important step for our tourism sector and our regional economies”.
Until now, expatriate New Zealanders entering the country had to undergo 10 days of isolation in expensive hotels.
This requirement was dropped on Monday for New Zealanders arriving from Australia and will be extended to all expats on Friday.
Mme Ardern said arrivals will not have to self-isolate, as originally planned.
She also said the government plans to speed up the gradual reopening of the border to all travellers, although no timetable has yet been set.
Mme Ardern said the rapid spread of the Omicron variant meant the impact of opening borders on case numbers was less significant, allowing restrictions to be lifted sooner.
“Whenever we have seen a significant change in the pandemic, we act very quickly to adapt our actions safely,” she said.
Tight border controls have been a key part of New Zealand’s success in battling the coronavirus, with just 56 deaths recorded for a population of five million.
The Omicron outbreak has escalated in recent weeks, with 14,657 new cases reported on Monday. Mme Ardern said the country’s high vaccination rate of around 95% “provides strong protective coverage.”