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The trans-Tasman travel bubble popped just ten weeks after.
The government today announced that the current pause in trans-Tasman travel has beenuntil at least midnight on Sunday. It will then only lift for South Australia, Australia Capital Territory, Tasmania and Victoria. Travellers will also need to have a pre-departure test within 72 hours of leaving Australia.
The decision followsin Australia. Up to 80% of Australians are now under some form of.
New سԹhas so far managed to avoid an outbreak, withdespite the fact that an Australian visitor spent a weekend in Wellington earlier this month and subsequentlyfor the delta variant.
While alert levels for the Wellington region will return to level 1 tonight, it will be abefore New Zealanders can breathe a sigh of relief. The rapidly changing situation in Australia now poses a.
Several other countries in the, which were once COVID-19 success stories, have all seen significant, uncontrolled and rapid surges in cases and hospitalisations. Australia is on the verge of joining this growing list, which includesԻ.
The risk from Australia
The situation in Australia is evolving but has several. Thedelta variant has rapidlyseveral parts of the country, including areas it.
Australia’s COVID-19 response committee held anon Monday in response to the escalating situation.
New South Wales is now the “epicenter”. The outbreak hasand residents are adjusting to life under. Hundreds of school children are also self-isolating afterat a primary school.
In the Northern Territory, a lockdown wasafter a mine worker tested positive and Queensland is, with severalover the past few days and a growing number of.
In Western Australia, Perth and Peel have gone into afrom midnight Monday for at least four days.
, Tasmania and South Australia have no new local COVID-19 cases. However, at least 29 workers from theare now in South Australia, with tests yet to be completed.
Refining New Zealand’s response
New سԹremainsto a new COVID-19 outbreak than ever before, largely due to the emergence of new.
In the UK, the delta variant now accounts for. Public health experts in New سԹhave called for an urgentof the country’s alert level system and contact tracing, as well as an acceleration of the vaccine rollout, to.
The Australian outbreaks should add urgency to these calls. Two people have alreadywho were potentially exposed to an Australian miner with COVID-19. They are in isolation and are being tested.
found 80% of New Zealanders think the government got restrictions right — more than any other surveyed country. New سԹhas used the “”, which applies several layers of barriers and safeguards to protect people from the virus.
Many layers of our COVID-19 defence now. Until now, we’ve had a reactive approach to QR scanning, with. The only increases in QR scanning followed outbreaks or COVID-19 scares.
Yesterday, cabinet commissioned advice on. This may have to become part of life, just like checking IDs at a bar.
Cabinet is also looking intoin more settings at alert level 2 and above. Face coverings may be particularly useful when physical distancing is not possible.
Bursting the travel bubble
The current pause is justified. Let us remind ourselves of the devastation caused beyond ourand how quickly the less transmissible original strain of COVID-19 spread around New سԹfrom March 2020 onwards.
The new delta variant isthan the alpha strain, which itself was more contagious than the original virus.
Things can change quickly and the current pause has allowed experts the time to assess the. It has also bought us valuable time tohopefully beyond just requiringfrom Australia and treats the risk of a delta variant outbreak.
Based on the uncertain and complex situation emerging across several Australian states, the reopening of the trans-Tasman bubble may remain difficult. The government has made it clear from the start that New سԹtravellersin Australia. The data that emerges from Australia over the next few days will be crucial in determining how and when travel can resume safely.
This article was originally published on.
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