Covid-19: Government hiring for two-year fixed term managed isolation and quarantine roles

New Zealand's will remain shut for a while yet it appears. Photo / 123f

A New Zealand Government job advertisement has raised speculation our country's border could be closed longer than expected.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment posted a job offer for a communications advisory role.

The role helps co-ordinate returning Kiwis' stay in managed hotel isolation - but it has been listed as a fixed two-year contract - raising questions over how long the Government plans to keep our borders shut.

The listing said has several roles "being set up to support Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) unit at MBIE to contribute to the All of Government Response to Covid-19".

"This is a significant public service and career development opportunity supporting our country's first line of defence against Covid-19 spreading in our communities.

"Our communications team will also support operational communications targeting returnees from the moment they book their ticket through to stay in and their exit from managed isolation and quarantine."

The Government has been coy on putting a firm timeframe on how long the border will remain shut.

Despite the job's two-year fixed term contract raising speculation, a spokesperson for MBIE said there was no set time frame for staff amid the pandemic.

Prime Jacinda Ardern. Meanwhile, New Zealand's border will likely be closed to travel for a while longer. Photo / Getty Images

"There is no timeframe for the operation of the managed isolation and quarantine system. We are in an unprecedented times with a global pandemic uncontrolled outside our borders," the spokesperson said.

"Managed isolation is a cornerstone in the defence against Covid-19 and will remain in place as long as necessary, to protect New Zealanders and those returning home."

On Monday Jacinda Ardern shot down an idea of a transtasman bubble at this stage, highlighting Australia's surge in Covid-19 cases is proving too risky.

"One of the things we said as part of our criteria was that anywhere we have quarantine-free travel, they have to be free of community transmission for a period of time, 28 days," she told The AM Show.

"That is going to take a long time for Australia to get back to that place."

In June, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet indicated the "best-case" scenario for returning to pre-Covid life would be for an "immunisation programme to begin early-mid 2021 with population immunity achieved late-2021."