The Australia-New Zealand travel bubble will close from midnight on Friday in response to outbreaks of the CCP virus in Australia, effectively shutting out the rest of the world once again.
This comes after the NZ government allowed a seven-day grace period to allow eligible travellers in Australia—except in the state of New South Wales, which is amidst a prolonged lockdown—to return to New Zealand without the need for quarantine.
“The Delta variant has materially changed the risk profile,” said NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose cabinet made the decision to close the border last Thursday.
Friday night’s border closure ends a four-month period of quarantine-free travel between the two neighbouring countries, though it remained partially closed often due to outbreaks in Australia.
That’s in keeping with the ‘hotspot’ model deployed by Australian states, where states quickly lock down borders when new cases emerge.
However, New Zealand has now abandoned that model, instead opting for a blanket ban.
Acting NZ Minister for COVID-19 Response Ayesha Verrall urged those who haven’t yet decided to act immediately on the border closure.
Around 3,000 seats were still available for travellers who wish to return to New Zealand before the borders shut on Friday night.
“Extra flights have been put on where required, for example from Brisbane and Melbourne, and extra capacity has opened up on flights from Perth as people have cancelled their flights. Travellers also have the option to transit via other airports in Australia,” Verrall said.
Travellers in New South Wales can still return on managed flights, which require 14 days in managed isolation and quarantine, where more than 1,500 rooms have been made available for the first two managed return phases.
People can register from 10 a.m. on Friday, July 30 until Tuesday, Aug. 3, and airlines will follow up to arrange booking details for flights after Aug. 9.
