Update in Reconnecting New Zealand to the World – The Stages.

On Thursday, 3 February 2022, Jacinda Arden announced important changes to the New Zealand border regulations during a speech at the Newmarket offices of Business New Zealand. These changes will affect the ability of citizens and international travellers to enter New Zealand and their managed isolation quarantine requirements at arrival. The changes will be staggered throughout several months. The key date of these changes will be as follows:

• From 27 February 2022, fully vaccinated New Zealanders (citizens and residents) from Australia can return home without having to go through managed isolation quarantine.
• From 13 March 2022, fully jabbed citizens, resident visa holders and holders of a critical purpose visitor visa can enter New Zealand from all other countries. This also applies to skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage and working holiday visa holders.
• From 12 April 2022, many international students will be able to do the same, together with holders of valid temporary visas, even those granted before the borders’ closure.
• From July (the Government has not confirmed the exact date yet), Australians and all other visa waiver visitors can travel to the country. It is important to remember that this stage could be moved forward, July being the latest possible date for this phase to be implemented.
• Finally, in October, the Government will open the border to all international travellers.

Throughout these stages, the Government will no longer require people to enter managed isolation, but travellers will have to self-isolate for a period (currently ten days, but this could be reduced) and do three antigen tests that they will be given at arrival at the airport.

Needless to say, this news has been welcomed by the New Zealand businesses in genuine need of overseas skilled migrants to implement their current workforce. The news has also pleased many New Zealanders who have been dreaming about travelling again with the certainty of returning home for more than two years.

However, when hearing about these reopening plans, our first thought went to the many people, kiwis or not, who have been divided from their loved ones for such a long time.

For almost two years, individuals have been unable to return home, parents have been unable to hug their children, people have been forced to witness their dear ones’ most eventful ceremonies through a screen, many have endured the agonising sufferance of not being able to be present in their overseas dying relatives’ last days.

It is not surprising that the prime minister’s speech has been received with a sense of relief and hope, as the long-awaited epilogue of such a dark and painful period of our lives.

Jacinda Ardern, in her speech, acknowledged that the MIQ has caused much heartache but that these sacrifices have allowed New Zealand to keep Covid at bay and avoid the much heavier consequences that a more relaxed approach would have caused.

If this is true, today it is worth celebrating our regained freedom and sending a thought of gratitude and appreciation to these people who we can consider our true Covid heroes.