News Forum - New Zealand announces 5-step border reopening plan, starting with this month

[Thaiger]

New Zealand is slowly starting to ease restrictions and gradually reopen borders. The country announced a five-step plan for loosening some of the world’s most restrictive Covid-19 measures, starting with allowing citizens in Australia who have been fully vaccinated to travel back home at the end of the month. Other vaccinated travellers will be free to enter on March 13, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Compulsory stays at state quarantine centres will be scrapped, but travellers will be required to self-isolate for 10 days, either at home or at another accommodation. 1st Step – New Zealanders who have been fully […]

The story New Zealand announces 5-step border reopening plan, starting with this month as seen on Thaiger News.

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[harry1]

with just 9 cases of this virus,why lockdown,NZ like all countries just have to live with it,and make sure all their citizen are fully vaccine,shutting out their own citizen is mind boggling if mp Jacinda Ardern cant handle 3 million population,then she should get another job in a kinder garden

Edited February 3, 2022 by harry1
mispelling

[Freeduhdumb]

If they test aggressively, their true Pandemic will finally begin. If they don't test aggressively their "case" count may remain low. It's all about testing. More testing, more "cases," less testing, less "cases."

Edited February 3, 2022 by Freeduhdumb
Spelling Correction

[sprez33]

5 hours ago, Freeduhdumb said:

If they test aggressively, their true Pandemic will finally begin. If they don't test aggressively their "case" count may remain low. It's all about testing. More testing, more "cases," less testing, less "cases."

So true!

[samiam123]

NZ had one of the strictest travel lockdowns and accomplished absolutely nothing!  Glad they are finally throwing in the towel on that failed policy.

Edited February 3, 2022 by samiam123

[Fundok]

At least NZ.is not copying Thailand with a PCR test on day 5. Other than that I think that it was the wrong decision of NZ to go for a zero Covid strategy. This virus will stay, we (and NZ) will have to learn to live with it.

[Artemis080]

3 hours ago, samiam123 said:

NZ had one of the strictest travel lockdowns and accomplished absolutely nothing!  Glad they are finally throwing in the towel on that failed policy.

Much like Australia, really. The enduring takeaway is that both were quite comfortable effectively stopping their citizens from repatriation.

[AussieBob]

The Kiwis are soon going to experience what the reality of living with a Nanny in control is really like when things go wrong.  Covid cases will skyrocket and the blame game will begin.  Kiwis really do think they are an island (mainly because they are so far away/behind the modern world), but they are about to find out that in a global world no island is an island - and Nanny's get very angry when criticised.  

[HiuMak]

10 hours ago, harry1 said:

with just 9 cases of this virus,why lockdown,NZ like all countries just have to live with it,and make sure all their citizen are fully vaccine,shutting out their own citizen is mind boggling if mp Jacinda Ardern cant handle 3 million population,then she should get another job in a kinder garden

sounds like CCP policy targeting zero covid

[BraveNewFahrenheit]

40 minutes ago, AussieBob said:

The Kiwis are soon going to experience what the reality of living with a Nanny in control is really like when things go wrong.  Covid cases will skyrocket and the blame game will begin.  Kiwis really do think they are an island (mainly because they are so far away/behind the modern world), but they are about to find out that in a global world no island is an island - and Nanny's get very angry when criticised.  

Bob, I thought this is what you wanted?

[Fundok]

6 hours ago, AussieBob said:

The Kiwis are soon going to experience what the reality of living with a Nanny in control is really like when things go wrong.  Covid cases will skyrocket and the blame game will begin.  Kiwis really do think they are an island (mainly because they are so far away/behind the modern world), but they are about to find out that in a global world no island is an island - and Nanny's get very angry when criticised.  M

As long as a large part of the population is vaccinated the damage of higher Omikron infections appears to be manageable. One needs to balance the most likely rise of infections against the damage of remaining isolated which is not only the missing revenue from tourism but also the pain of families and friends being unable to see each other. The initial reaction of NZ in the early days of the pandemic was probably right, but not sustainable over the time. They should have used the isolation to vaccinate their population but seemingly, like Australia, had a rather slow start in this regard. And not letting their own people back in (like what Australia did too) is a no-go in my view.

[AussieBob]

6 hours ago, BraveNewFahrenheit said:

Bob, I thought this is what you wanted?

Yes mate.  But you obviously do not know about the Kiwi's young 'Nanny in Charge' - Jacinda Ardern.

 

[AussieBob]

41 minutes ago, Fundok said:

As long as a large part of the population is vaccinated the damage of higher Omikron infections appears to be manageable. One needs to balance the most likely rise of infections against the damage of remaining isolated which is not only the missing revenue from tourism but also the pain of families and friends being unable to see each other. The initial reaction of NZ in the early days of the pandemic was probably right, but not sustainable over the time. They should have used the isolation to vaccinate their population but seemingly, like Australia, had a rather slow start in this regard. And not letting their own people back in (like what Australia did too) is a no-go in my view.

I should explain to those that are not aware.  Jacinda Ardern has been in a 'love affair' with the liberal left-wing media in NZ.  Mainly one way though - They just love her - She loves that they say such wonderful things about her.  Things are about to change.  Hell will have no fury. 

[Thommo]

I do not recall,  where is NZ? and does anyone care ( except my sons gf)?

Ba ba Barbara  who  is every NZ males first and for most their second gf 

 

[KaptainRob]

7 minutes ago, AussieBob said:

I should explain to those that are not aware.  Jacinda Ardern has been in a 'love affair' with the liberal left-wing media in NZ.  Mainly one way though - They just love her - She loves that they say such wonderful things about her.  Things are about to change.  Hell will have no fury. 

It's all a power-play for her, lockdown the country and pander to the old and poor, to hell with the economy!

No doubt a few lives were saved by earlier quarantine measures but the hardships endured are mind boggling and vaccination mandates are causing immeasurable harm. 

One family were isolated for 22 days due to a child testing +ve.  Many businesses including large restaurants have closed, gone broke.

Resist mandated vaccination and lose your job yet the struggling employer is forced to give you termination pay.

[KaptainRob]

6 minutes ago, Thommo said:

I do not recall,  where is NZ? and does anyone care ( except my sons gf)?

Ba ba Barbara  who  is every NZ males first and for most their second gf 

Don't knock it Thommo, sheep are very lovable but ya gotta find a pretty one 

[Thommo]

8 hours ago, Artemis080 said:

Much like Australia, really. The enduring takeaway is that both were quite comfortable effectively stopping their citizens from repatriation.

Not actually correct   I was able to book a fight back to melbourne after scomo announced the decrease in alowable entry numbers in September last year if I recall correctly. NZ was nothing like oz in regards to entry with the quarentine beds  avialabiltity 

I call bs

[Thommo]

13 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Don't knock it Thommo, sheep are very lovable but ya gotta find a pretty one 

Are you speaking from current or prior experience KR or should that be ky? 

[Artemis080]

22 minutes ago, Thommo said:

Not actually correct   I was able to book a fight back to melbourne after scomo announced the decrease in alowable entry numbers in September last year if I recall correctly. NZ was nothing like oz in regards to entry with the quarentine beds  avialabiltity 

I call bs

Good for you. Thousands were not as fortunate and I gave up after a year of trying and expatriated permenantly. And yes, Austraila was worse than NZ in policy.

[Thommo]

2 minutes ago, Artemis080 said:

Good for you. Thousands were not as fortunate and I gave up after a year of trying and expatriated permenantly. And yes, Austraila was worse than NZ in policy.

 

2 minutes ago, Artemis080 said:

Good for you. Thousands were not as fortunate and I gave up after a year of trying and expatriated permenantly. And yes, Austraila was worse than NZ in policy.

Just my personally experience   I was able to return 

and as for aus and nz  if you are comparing Western Australia yes  but we were able  to move a number of technicians  from europe (short term) for projects into oz but with  but nz with miq f**k

of course entering oz except WA now is easy for citizens and PRs etc (first hand experience)

Hope you are happy where you are and I was also in a foreign country in March 2020 ( as a tourist) but  I was lucky my flight left the day prior to the airport closure where I was 

 

[Cabra]

A lot can happen in 9 months, and with NZs past record, I suspect this will not go according to the published timeline. Looking forward to one day going to NZ

[JamesR]

Does NZ have a population?

It seems to me most of them are living in Australia or the UK, my daughter in law for one working in London as an architect, I think she was tired of designing large wooden sheds in NZ and calling them houses.