Quinn Wilson, co-owner of Queenstown Paraflights, reacts to New Zealand borders reopening. Video / James Allan
Fully vaccinated tourists will be allowed into New Zealand sooner than expected, with those from Australia set to arrive without the need for managed or self-isolation from 11.59pm on April 12.
April 12 is the same date that has already been set for the return of international students and temporary visa holders.
The Herald understands visitors from other countries with which New Zealand has visa waiver arrangements (like the United Kingdom) will be able to come here within weeks of that, followed by visitors from all other countries.
Originally, travellers from Australia and visa-waiver countries were to be allowed into the country MIQ-free before July, but no specific date had been decided. Visitors from the rest of the world were to be allowed in from October.
These dates will be all officially brought forward by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today, sources told the Herald on Tuesday.
Airlines and tourism groups have been increasingly worried the longer it took, tourism and hospitality businesses would suffer irreparable harm, particularly if self-isolation requirements remained.
However, as the Omicron outbreak rapidly overtook infection rates of new arrivals the Government dropped self-isolation requirements for returning New Zealanders and has been considering those impacts in its decision on when to open up further.
There were 17 cases reported at the border on Tuesday, a slight increase from before the changes to MIQ at the end of February despite arrivals roughly quadrupling.
The seven-day rolling average of community cases meanwhile is 19,226.
Ardern yesterday said as the peak of Omicron neared the risk profile of new arrivals had changed further and the Government was looking to bring forward those dates.
"The point we've come off the peak of Omicron is when the experts have said it will be possible to reopen the borders more broadly."
She said they were working as quickly as possible to give certainty to the tourism industry and factor in peak demand.
New Zealand-bound travellers will need to be fully vaccinated. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Asked about if they needed to be more cautious around the more contagious BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, Ardern said that would have little impact as it was already highly prevalent here.
It comes as 21, 616 new community cases of Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday, with numbers in Auckland remaining on a downward trend.
Two Covid-related deaths were reported and there were 960 people in hospital, including 22 in intensive care, with the virus.
The total number of publicly-reported Covid-19 related deaths to date is now 117.
The latest statistics show those who are unvaccinated are five times over-represented in hospitalisation figures.
Meanwhile, the tourism industry is gearing up for the reopening, including Tourism New Zealand launching a new ad campaign.
Working Holiday Visa holders and some skilled workers can now enter New Zealand with no self-isolation requirements.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa spokeswoman Ann-Marie Johnson said they would provide a welcome boost to the industry.
"Tourism was the first industry to be affected by the pandemic and will be the last to recover.
"We are heartened that the Government has signalled that our borders are likely to open to international visitors sooner than planned and we are keen to see the new timeline which is expected imminently."
Johnson said reopening to Australian visitors in time for their April school holiday period which includes Easter would be ideal.
