There are still 1766 border workers who are completely unvaccinated - and most of them won't have to get a single vaccine jab to continue to work at the front line for more than two and a half months.
A Kiwi in New South Wales for her brother's funeral can do little but cry as her attempts to get home have been thwarted by cancelled flights and excessive demand.
Barbara Moore and her husband Wayne are holed up in a Sydney hotel and have no idea when they'll be able to return to their Auckland home after emergency flights out of the Australian state - released this morning - were booked out in minutes.
The pair booked to cross the ditch weeks ago to see Barbara's brother, who they hadn't seen in three years and was unwell. However, on June 3, Barbara received a call from police who said her brother had passed away.
Arranging his funeral from New Zealand, Barbara insisted on farewelling her younger brother after Covid-19 restrictions saw her miss her older brother's funeral in Australia last year after he died in a plane crash.
"We had no choice ... I had to say goodbye to my [younger] brother," she said.
"I felt really awful because I'd let my other brother down, I couldn't get to his funeral so I had to come [this time]."
The Moores had been in NSW since June 20 and booked four flights, only for them all to be cancelled by travel bans from the state to Aotearoa.
With their iPads at the ready this morning, the pair waited nervously for flights back home this week to become available.
Despite constant refreshing, they were unable to book any seats even though, days before, they were told priority would be given to Kiwis who had been stuck in NSW longer than others.
"It's just been soul-destroying, we get our hopes up and they're dashed every time," Barbara said.
"I think we both just want to cry now and we can't see any light at the end of the tunnel."
Back in New Zealand, Barbara had a 88-year-old mother who lived alone, while Wayne had an elderly aunt in an aged-care facility, who was asking staff where her nephew was.
"[Mum] just cries on the phone when I ring her, but I can't get home Mum and I don't know what to do, we're stuck."
They had since booked a flight in two weeks' time. Barbara, a part-time teacher in her 60s, was mindful that Wayne - who had cancer three years ago - was vulnerable to the virus.
Wayne, in his 70s, had his first vaccination booked at the end of the month, but that would have to be delayed as the pair would likely have to spend two weeks in managed isolation on their return.
Barbara had emailed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about their predicament via the NSW2NZ@mfat.govt.nz email address.
However, with state case numbers rising daily, Barbara had little hope she would return home any time soon.
