News Forum - New Zealand closes its borders to arrivals over fear of Omicron outbreak

[Thaiger]

New Zealanders are currently unable to return home as the Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins orders a temporary halt to the only route back to the country due to the fully occupied numbers of managed isolation and quarantine, or MIQ, as demands soar following the threat posed by the Omicron strain yesterday. Although the ban would be temporary, no date had been set for when slots would be available again, implying that New Zealand’s border would be blocked to citizens and visa holders without a reservation for an indefinite period of time, according to the minister. “Pausing the next MIQ […]

The story New Zealand closes its borders to arrivals over fear of Omicron outbreak as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Jason]

This is unsurprising for New Zealand. Australia did the same thing up till a couple of months ago. I was appalled when my government did this!! Refusing entry to it's own citizens. We have an election in May and it could cause a change of government. A country has a duty to look after it's own citizens and repatriate them home. It was a major dereliction of duty by my government. I would say the same about the actions of the New Zealand Government now.

[Poolie]

Nah, sod 'em. I wasn't going anyway.

[Rain]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

This is unsurprising for New Zealand. Australia did the same thing up till a couple of months ago. I was appalled when my government did this!! Refusing entry to it's own citizens. We have an election in May and it could cause a change of government. A country has a duty to look after it's own citizens and repatriate them home. It was a major dereliction of duty by my government. I would say the same about the actions of the New Zealand Government now.

And many are easily duped by way of the same old repeated convention. 

[Artemis080]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

This is unsurprising for New Zealand. Australia did the same thing up till a couple of months ago. I was appalled when my government did this!! Refusing entry to it's own citizens. We have an election in May and it could cause a change of government. A country has a duty to look after it's own citizens and repatriate them home. It was a major dereliction of duty by my government. I would say the same about the actions of the New Zealand Government now.

I echo those sentiments as someone who was outside Australia when citizens were shut out. Two years later, here I am calling Asia home, and I have voted with my feet.

It's shame that NZ has made that same disgraceful choice. 

[Cabra]

To bad for non citizens. Citizens can still get home through managed isolation.

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

21 hours ago, Thaiger said:

New Zealanders are currently unable to return home as the Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins orders a temporary halt to the only route back to the country due to the fully occupied numbers of managed isolation and quarantine, or MIQ, as demands soar following the threat posed by the Omicron strain yesterday. Although the ban would be temporary, no date had been set for when slots would be available again, implying that New Zealand’s border would be blocked to citizens and visa holders without a reservation for an indefinite period of time, according to the minister. “Pausing the next MIQ […]

The story New Zealand closes its borders to arrivals over fear of Omicron outbreak as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Oh no! How will Bilbo get back to The Shire?