NZ Blocked to non-residents/NZ citizens, AU until Apr 13, others May 2 2022

[antycbr]

How is this acceptable? New Zealand citizens are now literally banned from returning to their own country (rather than just in effect). Surely there will be a legal challenge.

My favourite is the people who are advocating booking xx_-AKL-YYY (where YYY is usually somewhere in the Pacific). They disembark the first sector and then refuse to board the next flight and the NZ Government has no recourse as they're citizens and cannot be deported.

Guest Post: Are Kiwis too scared to come home? The border is wide open. | Kiwiblog

A guest post by Tudor Clee: In January 2021 Prime minister Jacinda Ardern righteously exclaimed that “We have to let people who have a legal right to live here – such as our own citizens – to come home, otherwise you are making them stateless.” Within months MIQ bookings were closed and she was...

www.kiwiblog.co.nz

 

[Mattg]

My favourite is the people who are advocating booking xx_-AKL-YYY (where YYY is usually somewhere in the Pacific). They disembark the first sector and then refuse to board the next flight and the NZ Government has no recourse as they're citizens and cannot be deported.

Guest Post: Are Kiwis too scared to come home? The border is wide open. | Kiwiblog

A guest post by Tudor Clee: In January 2021 Prime minister Jacinda Ardern righteously exclaimed that “We have to let people who have a legal right to live here – such as our own citizens – to come home, otherwise you are making them stateless.” Within months MIQ bookings were closed and she was...

www.kiwiblog.co.nz

How utterly ridiculous and sad that it has come to that.

Most Kiwis (the ones that I know, anyway) are good people who care about their community so won't do this. But good luck to anyone who can return to their country of citizenship using that method.

 

[antycbr]

How utterly ridiculous and sad that it has come to that. But good luck to anyone who can return to their country of citizenship using that method.

The NZ Government have completely lost the plot. They run the risk of having Omicron break out in the depths of the NZ winter if they keep kicking the can down the road. For a country that is highly tourism dependent the money printing machine will have to run out soon.

Notably, the Australian Government didn't try a voucher system like NZ implemented as they would have issues like this one. Instead we capped the available seats on the flights so that everyone who was on board could be accommodated in quarantine.

 

[AviationNZ]

How is this acceptable? New Zealand citizens are now literally banned from returning to their own country (rather than just in effect). Surely there will be a legal challenge.

There certainly is a legal challenge, although the hearing just got delayed a few weeks...

MIQ system High Court challenge delayed

New Zealanders challenging the government's management of MIQ will have to wait three weeks longer for their High Court case to be heard.

www.rnz.co.nz

 

[jase05]

All of NZ to Red traffic light setting

NZ to red tonight; Omicron circulating in Auckland, possibly South Island - PM

PM Jacinda Ardern confirms 9 community cases of Omicron in the Nelson area.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[VPS]

from The man in seat 61 - very sad if this is true as they were both great train journeys

 

[Virgin Bart]

from The man in seat 61 - very sad if this is true as they were both great train journeys


View attachment 269621

Terribly disappointing if correct

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

from The man in seat 61 - very sad if this is true as they were both great train journeys


View attachment 269621

That's disappointing. I was waiting for the service to resume to make a couple of bookings.

 

[Mattg]

from The man in seat 61 - very sad if this is true as they were both great train journeys


View attachment 269621

@JessicaTam what a shame! Lucky we got a trip in last year

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

New Zealand will bring back “red” Covid restrictions at midnight tonight, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealing her own wedding will be cancelled.

The announcement on Sunday comes after it was confirmed that nine people who were recorded to have Covid yesterday had the Omicron variant, and a further household contact tested positive late yesterday.

‘Such is life’: NZ PM cancels wedding

New Zealand will bring back “red” Covid restrictions at midnight tonight, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealing her own wedding will be cancelled.

www.news.com.au

 

[antycbr]

New Zealand will bring back “red” Covid restrictions at midnight tonight, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealing her own wedding will be cancelled.

The announcement on Sunday comes after it was confirmed that nine people who were recorded to have Covid yesterday had the Omicron variant, and a further household contact tested positive late yesterday.

‘Such is life’: NZ PM cancels wedding

New Zealand will bring back “red” Covid restrictions at midnight tonight, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealing her own wedding will be cancelled.

www.news.com.au

Just like WA, it’ll take a decent outbreak for them to start moving forward. At the moment they’re going backwards.

 

[jakeseven7]

What on earth is going on in NZ.....? Seems about as looney tunes as WA right now, just heard on the news....

 

[drron]

What on earth is going on in NZ.....? Seems about as looney tunes as WA right now, just heard on the news....

Saint Jacinda's halo is slipping.

 

[JessicaTam]

@JessicaTam what a shame! Lucky we got a trip in last year

Shame indeed. Hopefully tourism picks up and it can be reinstated one day down the track.

 

[AviationNZ]

I'm living in AKL at the moment, and for context, red traffic light setting doesn't really change that much for those of us that are vaccinated. Everything is still open and you can go shopping, eat at restaurants, travel domestically, etc. It's just big events that are stopped, and if you're unvaccinated then you're a lot more restricted. So all and all, it doesn't worry me in the slightest.

Naturally the whole international border scenario is a different kettle of fish which is extremely frustrating to say the least, but maybe this Omicron outbreak will be what's needed to finally break the shackles of MIQ.

 

[NZflygirl]

What on earth is going on in NZ.....? Seems about as looney tunes as WA right now, just heard on the news....

Actually WA has less restrictive border measures than NZ currently. There are more exemptions and reduce HQ with subsequent home iso options or straight home iso options.

I'm living in AKL at the moment, and for context, red traffic light setting doesn't really change that much for those of us that are vaccinated. Everything is still open and you can go shopping, eat at restaurants, travel domestically, etc. It's just big events that are stopped, and if you're unvaccinated then you're a lot more restricted. So all and all, it doesn't worry me in the slightest.

Naturally the whole international border scenario is a different kettle of fish which is extremely frustrating to say the least, but maybe this Omicron outbreak will be what's needed to finally break the shackles of MIQ.

I think you’ll find living with covid doesn’t actually differ much from what you have now. If people want to modify their own behaviors then so be it.

What I find does modify peoples behaviors is the isolation/quarantine requirements. Whilst I’m aware I can catch covid at a restaurant, the fact I only have to monitor for symptoms means I still go to restaurants and support those businesses. I’m more worried about quarantine/iso requirements than covid. And NZs requirements would have me change my behaviour. I don’t see any issues dining outside or a well ventilated place. The rules are worse than the disease for the majority at this point and there’s no reason to kill off people’s livelihoods. I’ve already spent half my xmas holiday in home quarantine as a household contact. 7 days, a few wines on the deck with positive friend much easier to comply with. NZs potential for up to 24 days and even no household contacts quarantine for 10 days is just unreasonable. This whole “stop every case at all costs….” They’ll lose the public compliance in a heartbeat and I don’t blame them and would not support fining those people. It’s a rule but it’s a stupid rule.

I don’t actually trust public health or government to make good decisions anymore in NZ. Is there even an ethicist in that pandemic planning team?

 

[AviationNZ]

What I find does modify peoples behaviors is the isolation/quarantine requirements. Whilst I’m aware I can catch covid at a restaurant, the fact I only have to monitor for symptoms means I still go to restaurants and support those businesses. I’m more worried about quarantine/iso requirements than covid. And NZs requirements would have me change my behaviour. I don’t see any issues dining outside or a well ventilated place. The rules are worse than the disease for the majority at this point and there’s no reason to kill off people’s livelihoods. I’ve already spent half my xmas holiday in home quarantine as a household contact. 7 days, a few wines on the deck with positive friend much easier to comply with. NZs potential for up to 24 days and even no household contacts quarantine for 10 days is just unreasonable. This whole “stop every case at all costs….” They’ll lose the public compliance in a heartbeat and I don’t blame them and would not support fining those people. It’s a rule but it’s a stupid rule.

I don’t actually trust public health or government to make good decisions anymore in NZ. Is there even an ethicist in that pandemic planning team?

Couldn't agree more, and they're also going to face non-compliance with scanning due to the potential ramifications for people in jobs that can't be done from home. If I was in a role which meant I didn't get paid unless I turned up, then I'd be pretty reluctant to scan anywhere as I wouldn't want to be considered a close contact.

Whilst the adjustment from 'Covid-zero' to where we are now is step in the right direction, it's still a long way to go to actually accepting 'living with Covid'! The sooner the cases rise into the thousands, the sooner more of the public accept that eventuality, and the sooner the Govt will relax the iso requirements.

 

[oznflfan]

Shame indeed. Hopefully tourism picks up and it can be reinstated one day down the track.

I'd like to re-try to attend the big airshow in Blenheim Easter 2023 (that was cancelled on me last year and Jacinda kyboshed my NZ entry anyway), but seriously, I don't think I will be allowed to go there by Jacinda under my terms (no quarantine nor stick up my nose to enter - although I am triple vaxxed). Be years before NZ see's successful international tourism, meanwhile Europe will be fully open this European summer - and I'll be there attending Goodwwod late June!!!

 

[aaa99]

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

Just saw this on the news. Feb 27th for Kiwis in Australia. I will believe it when I see it. Not sure what the requirements would be like. 10 days of home isolation would make it pretty hard unless you are returning home to family.

 

[henrus]

I agree with aaa99 above, believe it when it happens!

This process sounds similar to the bubble and by the time it opens there'll be a new variant which will scare everyone.